Semiotics:
The word semiology comes from the Greek word Semio, meaning sign. Ology means the study or science of.
The word theory comes from theorem
In our everyday lives, signs are everywhere..
- brands
- messages
- political sings
- in our homes
- in our personalities
To us, different signs have very different meanings.
The American philosopher Charles Sanders Pierce attempted to develop a system of understanding and meaning of language. He was interested in breaking down the sign into components. We can infer from this that there is a relationship between these components of the sign that allow us to read signals and generate meaning.
There are three main areas which inform semiotics:
1. The Sign themselves
2. The way they are organised
3. The context in which they appear
Semiology on components of language:
Ferdinand Desaussure was interested in finding out if there are any underlying principles relating to language and meaning.
He discovered that in verbal language words are made by the combination of elements called phonems
Saussure wanted to see if there were any fixed underlying principles relating to
language and meaning.
The index has a direct link between the sign and the object
Some examples:
a dog collar is an index of a dog.
smoke is an index of fire.
There is a direct relationship between these two things.
The Symbol has no logical connection between the sign its meaning.
A symbolic sign relies on us having learnt the relationship between the sign and what it actually means.
A union flag is an example here. We have learned this symbol by association, we see the flag and we make a connection. It is symbolic.
- In verbal language words are made by the combination of elements called phonemes
- In written language words are made up of elements we call letters
Semiology- components of the sign:
The word or sound is known as the SIGNIFIER
The object it represents becomes the SIGNIFIED
The SIGN is the combination of these two elements
Pierce identifies three categories of signs:
1. ICON
2. INDEX
3. SYMBOL
The icon has a direct resemblance to the sign
A photograph can be considered iconic, some sounds are also iconic as they reference an object directly for example bang, woof.
The index has a direct link between the sign and the object
Some examples:
a dog collar is an index of a dog.
smoke is an index of fire.
There is a direct relationship between these two things.
The Symbol has no logical connection between the sign its meaning.
A symbolic sign relies on us having learnt the relationship between the sign and what it actually means.
A union flag is an example here. We have learned this symbol by association, we see the flag and we make a connection. It is symbolic.
Pierce refers to symbolic signs as "arbitrary signs," as we have agreed that they are there to symbolise something. They need to be learned.
Roland Barthes developed the notion of denotation and connotation
Denotation:
-refers to what is pictured
-1st level of signification
Connotation:
-focuses more on how something is pictured
-All the things we infer refer to help to contribute how we read the picture we are looking at.
- The reader is playing a part in the process. Their cultural background, experience and knowledge effects the way the image is read.
- Meaning is imposed on the sign, meaning can change depending on the readers different cultural experiences.
Barthes argued that all signs are polysemous, this means that all signs have multiple meanings, we as the audience are meaning makers. He goes onto argue that there is no single meaning to any sign, meaning is made through a reading based upon ones culture and knowledge. Therefore, connotation is arbitrary.
Roland Barthes developed the notion of denotation and connotation
Denotation:
-refers to what is pictured
-1st level of signification
Connotation:
-focuses more on how something is pictured
-All the things we infer refer to help to contribute how we read the picture we are looking at.
- The reader is playing a part in the process. Their cultural background, experience and knowledge effects the way the image is read.
- Meaning is imposed on the sign, meaning can change depending on the readers different cultural experiences.
Barthes argued that all signs are polysemous, this means that all signs have multiple meanings, we as the audience are meaning makers. He goes onto argue that there is no single meaning to any sign, meaning is made through a reading based upon ones culture and knowledge. Therefore, connotation is arbitrary.
No comments:
Post a Comment