Semiotics PDF

SEMIOTICS Brains Behind Semiotics and Semiology SEMIOTICS Charles Peirce 1839 - 1914  He defined sign as “ something which stands to somebody for something in some respect or capacity.” (qtd. in Zeman, 1977 by Berger, 2004) For him, the world is flooded with signs that are open for ever...

SEMIOTICS Brains Behind Semiotics and Semiology SEMIOTICS Charles Peirce 1839 - 1914  He defined sign as “ something which stands to somebody for something in some respect or capacity.” (qtd. in Zeman, 1977 by Berger, 2004) For him, the world is flooded with signs that are open for everyone to interpret. He offered the triadic model of understanding the sign. Peirce recognizes the role of the interpretant in making meaning of the signs. Peirce And the Three Aspects of Signs Icon Index Symbol Signify by Resemblanc Causal Convention e connection Examples Pictures, Fire/Smoke Flags statues Process Can see Can figure Must learn out Examples of these three aspects of signs according to Peirce SEMIOLOGY and Roland Barthes 1915-1980  Codes and signs are not universally given; they are historically and socio- culturally specific. Writing is a form of fabrication; it’s meaning is socially constructed often to the benefit of a particular social class. Barthes on Myth and Popular Culture According to Barthes, myth is : popular culture relies upon signs in other first-order systems such as language in order to engage in the process of signification works through the relationship between form (signifier), concept (signified) and signification (sign) serves to naturalize history. Barthes on Myth and Popular Culture According to Barthes, ‘myth hides nothing; its function is to distort not to make disappear... There is no need of an unconscious in order to explain myth... The relation which unites the concept of the myth to its meaning is essentially a relation of deformation... In myth the meaning is distorted by the concept.’ (cited in Strinati) Sign: A picture of a Negro boy salutes the French flag Signifier: The Magazine cover page picture Signification: Legitimization of the French Colonization Myth: French Imperial power Other Theorists: Umberto Eco (1908-2009) Other Theorists: Umberto Eco (1932 - 2016) aberrant decoding as the role of mass media posits that: “ Codes and subcodes are applied to the message [read ‘text’] in the light of a general framework of cultural references, which constitutes the receiver’s patrimony of knowledge: his ideological, ethical, religious standpoints, his psychological attitudes, his tastes his value systems, etc.” (cited in Berger, 2004) Forms of signs Signs and advertising Material culture Activities and Performance Music and sound effects Forms of signs: Signs and advertising give people a sense of what the corporation is like through color and form, appearance of the text, use of symbols. What does this image tell us about Jollibee? Note that we have a family in the picture with the mascot of Jollibee. The dominant color is red suggesting happiness and yellow suggesting fun. So, it implies that dining in Jollibee brings fun and happiness to the family. Forms of signs: Material culture objects and artifacts that convey messages of the people’s life and culture. Note that both characters in these ads are having Nescafe. What object tells us about their life and culture? The first image shows a farmer wearing salakot, while the other man, an office worker or businessman is in front his laptop. Both are enjoying a cup of coffee, suggesting that Nescafe is for people from all walks of life. Watch this video and notice the Filipino life and culture depicted here. Disney from our family to yours: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tl57Gy5X_Kg Forms of signs: Activities and Performance Messages conveyed by the body language, gestures, facial expressions, and voice variation. What do the following images suggest? Forms of signs: Music and sound effects Music and sound effects are used to generate certain responses in the audience. Compare for instance how movie makers transform the sound of simple objects into something suspenseful. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnozP8OWeik&t=51s https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=FdCRbvA0McM Key terms related to Barthes’ semiotics Connotation refers to the cultural meanings that become attached to words (and other forms of communication. Denotation refers to the literal or explicit meaning s of words and other phenomena. Key terms related to semiotics Metaphor suggests a relationship between two things through an analogy. Metonymy uses an associated detail to invoke an idea or represent an object. So in summary... Semiotics is concerned with how meaning is created and conveyed in text and, in particular, in narratives (or stories). The focus of semiotics is the signs found in texts. Signs are understood to be combinations of signifiers and signifieds. Because nothing has meaning in itself, the relationships that exist among signs are crucial. Texts can be viewed as being similar to speech and as implying grammars or languages that make the texts meaningful. Codes and conventions make the signs in a narrative understandable and also shape the actions. Watch this... https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=OqhFztnwt4w  What are the denotative Let’s try analyzing these: meanings forwarded in this image? What are the connotative meanings forwarded? Using Barthes’ theory on semiotics, what myths are naturalized in this image? Reflection What insights did I gain from this lesson?