Lecture 2 - Semiotics
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This document provides an overview of semiotics and structuralism. It defines semiotics as how meanings are constructed through language and culture, and that signs are arbitrary and defined by society. It explains that structuralism aims to identify underlying structures in society and culture that determine human organization. Meaning can only be understood within these larger structures. It discusses concepts like denotation versus connotation in interpreting signs and texts, as well as how codes contribute to interpretation.
Lecture 2 - Semiotics
- 1. Semiotics
- 2. Semiotics From Greek semion (sign) How meanings are constructed in language and culture Language constructed by people to produce meaning People, events do not have inherent meaning Language and meaning inherited Individuals don’t have a private language
- 4. SIGNS are ARBITRARY SIGN has a physical form SIGNIFIER e.g. R O S E A SIGN is not a real world entity (there is no sweet smell from the word ‘rose’) A SIGN is arbitrary A SIGN is defined by a society Our perception of reality constructed by ‘our’ signs
- 8. Structuralism Basic concept identification of underlying structures in society (e.g. family organisation) Necessary when analyzing a media product Deconstruct text find underlying/hanging meaning
- 9. Freedom Fighters or Terrorists/Insurgents? What do you think?
- 10. These Sunni insurgents have recently been named ‘freedom fighters’ by the Americans (Telegraph 12 Jun 2007)
- 11. Emphases of Structuralism Human organization determined by large social or psychological structures These structures have their own irresistible logic, independent of human will or intention Freud – the human psyche is one of these structures; makes us behave in ways we are unaware of but which can be seen through dreams, slips of the tongue Marx – economic life is another structure. Person’s r/ship (owners or workers) to means of production determines their political sympathies.
- 12. Meaning can only be understood within these structures and the differences and distinctions they generate e.g. Consider how a culture organizes its rules on food as a system by: rules of exclusion (English don’t eat snails); signifying oppositions (sweet and savoury not eaten together); and rules of association (steak and chips followed by ice cream not any other order)
- 13. Oppositions Structuralism emphasis on opposites helps to understand meaning Signs are interpreted in relation to their differences to other signs
- 15. Denotation and Connotation Two stages of interpretation First interpreter sees the text and nothing more; no assumptions Then connotation: the meaning of the sign or whole text determined by readers’ cultural experiences background knowledge Interpret the next two images using denotation and connotation
- 18. Anchoring Aims to fix or limit the interpretation of an image. Example: Caption under a photograph
- 21. Codes How do codes contribute to the interpretation? Dress Colour Non-verbal (facial expressions, posture, position of hands, kissing, proxemics) Technical codes (black and white, blur, positioning, camera angle, etc)
- 22. What do these colours mean to you? Red Black Gold Yellow White Green