Semiotics and Narratology

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Questions and Answers

Define semiotics.

Semiotics, as defined by Roland Barthes, is the study of signs and how texts communicate ideas through signification. Signs function on literal (signifier, denotation) and figurative (signified, connotation) levels. Exposure to symbolic constructions can become self-evident, as the sign becomes myth through naturalization.

According to Saussure, what is a 'sign'?

According to Saussure, a 'sign' is the object or thing being represented.

What is a 'signifier' according to Saussure?

According to Saussure, a 'signifier' is the physical existence (sound, word, image) of a sign, such as 'red/leaf/round/apple'.

Define narratology according to Tzvetan Todorov.

Narratology, according to Tzvetan Todorov, posits that all narratives share a basic structure, moving from one state of equilibrium to another. These states are separated by disruption or imbalance, and how narratives resolve can have ideological significance. Signup and view all the answers

List Todorov's (1971) five stages of narrative equilibrium.

<ol> <li>equilibrium</li> <li>disruption of equilibrium</li> <li>recognition of disruption</li> <li>attempt to resolve disruption</li> <li>return to a new equilibrium</li> </ol> Signup and view all the answers

What are the key aspects of genre theory, according to Steve Neale?

According to Steve Neale, genres are characterized by the repetition of codes and conventions alongside elements of difference, variation, and change. Genres evolve through borrowing and overlapping, creating hybridity and subgenres, and they exist within specific economic, institutional, and industrial contexts. Signup and view all the answers

Explain structuralism according to Claude Levi-Strauss.

According to Claude Levi-Strauss, structuralism involves understanding texts through the analysis of their underlying structure. Meaning is often produced through oppositional pairs (e.g., good vs. evil), and the resolution of these binary opposites can have ideological significance. Signup and view all the answers

What are the key aspects of postmodernism, according to Jean Beaudrillard?

According to Jean Beaudrillard, postmodernism is characterized by the collapse of boundaries between the 'real' and 'mediated' worlds. Signs operate in a process of signification without underlying signifiers, creating 'hyperreality' where mediated images seem more real than reality itself. It questions traditional narratives, emphasizes style over substance, and challenges the idea of objective reality. Signup and view all the answers

List the key aspects of postmodernist media.

<ul> <li>intertextuality: blending different media forms</li> <li>self-referentiality: acknowledging the artificiality of media.</li> <li>pastiche: blending high and low culture</li> <li>irony and paradox: using irony to challenge accepted narratives</li> <li>breaking the fourth wall: drawing attention to the filmmaking process</li> <li>parody: using parody to subvert expectations</li> </ul> Signup and view all the answers

Explain Stuart Hall's theory of representation.

According to Stuart Hall, representation is the production of meaning through language (a system of signs). Stereotyping reduces people to a few simple characteristics and traits, often occurring when there is a disparity of power. The 'preferred/dominant reading' is the interpretation intended by media producers, which is culturally dependent. Signup and view all the answers

Explain David Gauntlett's theory of identity.

According to David Gauntlett, media helps us construct our identities by providing 'tools' and resources. In the past, these toolboxes were simple, but now we have a wide range of media models to choose from. Signup and view all the answers

Explain Paul Gilroy's postcolonial theory.

According to Paul Gilroy, postcolonial theory explores the legacy of colonialism and imperialism. Colonial discourses continue to inform contemporary attitudes to race and ethnicity, and 'civilization' constructs racial hierarchies and binary oppositions based on 'otherness'. Signup and view all the answers

Explain Liestbet van Zoonen's feminist theory.

According to Liestbet van Zoonen, gender is constructed through discourse, and it changes depending on cultural and historical context. The objectification of women's bodies is central to western patriarchal culture, and the media uses different codes to construct male and female bodies. Signup and view all the answers

What are the key ideas of James Curran and Jean Seaton regarding media industries?

According to James Curran and Jean Seaton, media is driven by power and profit, controlled by a few companies focused on these goals. Media concentration limits variety, creativity, and quality, while diverse ownership patterns foster varied media products. Signup and view all the answers

Explain Sonia Livingstone and Peter Lunt's regulation theory.

According to Sonia Livingstone and Peter Lunt, there is a struggle between protecting citizens from harmful material and promoting consumer choice, value, and competition. Media conglomerations and the merging of production, distribution, and marketing put traditional media regulation at risk. Signup and view all the answers

Explain David Hesmondhalgh's cultural industries theory.

According to David Hesmondhalgh, media companies minimize risk and maximize audience through vertical and horizontal integration, using genre, serial formats, and stars. Large companies operate across media industries, with the internet incorporated into profit-oriented cultural companies. Signup and view all the answers

Explain Albert Bandura's media effects theory.

According to Albert Bandura, media can implant ideas directly into audiences' minds. Audiences respond to media modeling, acquiring new attitudes, styles, and behaviors. Media representations of antisocial behavior can lead to imitation. Signup and view all the answers

Explain George Gerbner's cultivation theory.

According to George Gerbner, repeated exposure to media representations over time can shape how audiences perceive the world, reinforcing mainstream values and ideologies. Signup and view all the answers

Explain Stuart Hall's reception theory.

According to Stuart Hall, communication involves encoding by producers and decoding by audiences, with three potential decoding positions: dominant-hegemonic (acceptance), negotiated (adaptation), and oppositional (disagreement). Signup and view all the answers

Explain Henry Jenkins' fandom theory.

According to Henry Jenkins, fans actively participate in constructing and circulating textual meanings, appropriating texts in ways not authorized by producers ('textual poaching'). Fans build social and cultural identities through mass culture images, finding social connection through fandom. Signup and view all the answers

Explain Clay Shirky's 'End of Audience' theory.

According to Clay Shirky, digital technologies have profoundly changed the relationship between media and individuals. Audiences are no longer passive but create and share content, 'speaking back' to media. Signup and view all the answers

What is semiotics?

Semiotics is the study of signs and how texts communicate ideas through signification, according to Roland Barthes. Signup and view all the answers

What is narratology, according to Tzvetan Todorov?

Narratology, according to Tzvetan Todorov, is the study of how all narratives share a basic structure, moving from one state of equilibrium to another. Signup and view all the answers

List the 5 components of Todorov's (1971) narrative theory of equilibrium.

<ol> <li>Equilibrium, 2. Disruption of equilibrium, 3. Recognition of disruption, 4. Attempt to resolve disruption, 5. Return to a new equilibrium</li> </ol> Signup and view all the answers

Outline Steve Neale's Genre Theory.

Steve Neale's Genre Theory states that genres are dominated by repetition of codes and conventions. They must also incorporate difference, variation, and change and change and evolve through borrowing and overlapping with each other. Signup and view all the answers

Outline Claude Levi-Strauss' theory of structuralism.

Claude Levi-Strauss' theory of structuralism suggests that texts can be understood through an analysis of their underlying structure through oppositional pairs where the resolution of these binaries can have ideological significance. Signup and view all the answers

Outline Jean Beaudrillard's theory of Postmodernism.

Jean Beaudrillard's theory of Postmodernism states that the boundaries between the 'real' and 'mediated' worlds have collapsed, with mediated images seeming more 'real' than the reality they supposedly represent (hyperreality). Signup and view all the answers

Outline Stuart Hall's Theories of Representation.

Stuart Hall's Theories of Representation says that representation is the production of meaning through language, often through stereotyping, which tends to occur when there is disparity of power. Signup and view all the answers

Outline David Gauntlett's Theories of Identity.

David Gauntlett suggests that media helps us to construct our identities by providing 'tools' and resources that we use to shape our identities. Signup and view all the answers

Outline James Curran and Jean Seaton's theory of Media Industries.

James Curran and Jean Seaton suggest that media is driven by the logic of power and profit, controlled by a small number of companies primarily concerned with gaining profit and power. Signup and view all the answers

Outline David Hesmondhalgh's Cultural Industries Theory

David Hesmondhalgh says that media companies try to minimize risk and maximize audience through vertical and horizontal integration and through the form of their media/cultural products (through genre, serial format and by including stars). Signup and view all the answers

Outline Henry Jenkin's Fandom Theory.

Henry Jenkin's Fandom Theory suggests that fans are active participants in the construction and circulation of textual meanings, who often appropriate texts and read them in ways that are not fully authorized by the media producers. Signup and view all the answers

Define Semiotics and name the theorist associated with it.

Semiotics is the study of signs and meaning texts communicate their ideas through signification, according to Roland Barthes. Signup and view all the answers

Define Narratology and name the theorist associated with it.

Narratology suggests that all narratives share a basic structure, moving from equilibrium to another, according to Tzvetan Todorov. Signup and view all the answers

List the five stages of Todorov's narrative theory of equilibrium.

<ol> <li>Equilibrium, 2. Disruption of equilibrium, 3. Recognition of disruption, 4. Attempt to resolve disruption, 5. Return to a new equilibrium</li> </ol> Signup and view all the answers

Explain Claude Levi-Strauss's theory of Structuralism.

Texts can be understood through an analysis of their underlying structure. Signup and view all the answers

Explain Jean Baudrillard's theory of Postmodernism.

The boundaries between the 'real' and 'mediated' worlds have collapsed. Signup and view all the answers

Explain James Curran and Jean Seaton's perspective on Media Industries.

Media is driven by the logic of power and profit. Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Semiotics

The study of signs and their meanings in texts. Ideas are communicated through signification on literal (denotation) and figurative (connotation) levels, eventually becoming myth through naturalization.

Saussure's Sign

A unit of meaning, split into two parts, that creates understanding of the world around us.

Narratology

Narratives share a structure moving from equilibrium to disequilibrium and back. Resolution has ideological significance.