Becoming a Pioneer in an Initiation Ceremony in Serbian ABC Book (1974)

This article analyses visual representation of becoming a pioneer in a Serbian ABC book (1974) by using the social semiotics approach. The analysis deals with visual representations of pioneers with Tito and the ceremony of becoming a pioneer. Narrative representations are determined as action process with separately analysed actors, interactors, vectors, goals and means. The Modality analysis showed that ceremony of becoming a pioneer is a kind of initiation, a way of stepping into the world of adults. Pioneer’s hats are represented by the colour green, instead of blue, which serves as a connection with partisans who liberated the country in the Second World War. This sends the message that every pioneer is a partisan descendant and also a potential member of the Jugoslav People’s Army.