1. Barthes – The leading theorist of semiotics who analysed popular media and culture – Known as “The Founding Father of Media Studies”
2. Pierce – Theorist who came up with the idea of Signs being Iconic, Indexical, or Arbitrary.
3. Saussure – A linguist who proposed the way to understand words and signs by detaching their signifier from their signified meaning
4. Semiotics – The study of signs and symbols, their use, how they are represented, and what they represent.
5. Sign – A visual symbol that represents or communicates something.
6. Signifier – A sign’s physical form as distinct from it’s meaning.
7. Signified – The meaning or idea expressed by a sign.
8. Icon – A sign that is designed to look like the object it is representing.
9. Index – A sign that is linked to the object it is representing.
10. Symbol – A sign that is arbitrary and has no relation to the object it is representing.
11. Code –
12. Dominant Signifier – The mainly accepted meaning of a sign.
13. Anchorage –
14. Ideology – A set of political ideas and ideals, used in running a government.
15. Paradigm- a collection of similar signs that links back to one meaning
16. Syntagm – When signs occur in parallel or sequence and operate together to create a meaning
17. SignifIcation –
18. Denotation – What is being shown by a sign.
19. Connotation – What a sign means or is implied to mean.
20. Myth – A meaning made by certain people around a sign that fits a certain agenda.
21. Radical text – A text that goes against the dominant ideology.
22. A Reactionary text – A text that conforms to the dominant ideology.

• Barthes – French literary theorist / philosopher. Theoised the codes theory (Hermeneutic code), the way a story is told without revealing all the facts
• Pierce – American philosopher, investigated how language is a way of connecting meaning to different signs, ICONIC, INDEXICAL, SYMBOLIC
• Saussure – Swiss linguist / semiotican, theorised that the principle of language is a system of signs, each sign is composed of signifier and signified
• Semiotics – The study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation
• Sign – An object, quality, or event whose presence or occurrence indicates the probable presence or occurrence of something else.
• Signifier – An object/thing (comes from Saussure)
• Signified – The meaning of a signifier (comes from Saussure)
• Icon – A sign that has a direct link to its object
• Index – A sign that has an indirect link to its object
• Symbol – Has a random or arbitrary link based on a shared knowledge
• Code – A system of words, letters, figures, or symbols used to represent others
• Dominant Signifier – Most important sign, main image
• Anchorage – A sign that fixes the meaning
• Ideology – Set of ideas, beliefs and values
• Paradigm – A specific group of words/things, which can be used interchangeably all with the same meaning
• Syntagm – A series of signs that all work together eg a sentence
• Signifcation – Giving an object its purpose/meaning (process of making meaning)
• Denotation – The object (Barthes)
• Connotation – The meaning (Barthes)
• Myth – Ideas created by connotations
• Radical text – Challenges the dominant ideology
• Reaction text – Supports the dominant ideology

1. Barthes- A French literary theorist, philosopher, critic, and semiotician- he studied signs
2. Pierce- An American philosopher, logician, mathematician, and scientist- He created the idea of signs being iconic, indexical and symbolic.
3. Saussure- A Swiss linguist and semiotician
4. Semiotics- The study of signs and symbols
5. Sign- A sign is anything that can convey a meaning
6. Signifier- Comes from Saussure and
7. Signified- An idea that is expressed by a sign
8. Icon- A sign that is designed to look like an object that it represents
9. Index- A sign or measure of something
10. Symbol- A sign that represents or is associated with something
11. Code- A system of words or figures or symbols that is used to represent something
12. Dominant Signifier- The most important sign
13. Anchorage- A sign that fixes the meaning
14. Ideology- A set of ideas / beliefs
15. Paradigm- A pattern / group of something
16. Syntagm- A series of signs that all work together
17. Signifcation- The process of making media
18. Denotation- Barthes- The object
19. Connotation- Barthes- An idea or feeling or meaning of the object
20. Myth- The ideas that are created by connotations
21. A radical text- Challenges an ideology
22. A reactionary text- Agrees with ideology/ Supports dominant ideology

MEDIA LA

Barthes – One of the leading theorists of semiotics, which is the study of signs.

C S Pierce – A scientist and philosopher best known for being the earliest supporter of pragmatism.

Ferdinand De Saussure – A Swiss linguist and semiotician.

Semiotics – The study of signs and symbols and their interpretations.

Sign – An object or event regarded as an indication of what has happened or is going to happen.

Signifier – The object.

Signified – The meaning or idea expressed by a sign.

Icon – A thing or person regarded as a representative symbol.

Index – A sign or measure of something.

Symbol – A mark or character used as a conventional representation of an object, process or function.

Code – A system of letters, words, symbols or figures used to represent others.

Dominant Signifier – The most important sign.

Anchorage – When one piece of media uses another to reduce the amount of connotations in the first piece.

Ideology – A set of beliefs that an entity or person has.

Paradigm – An example or pattern of something; a pattern or model.

Syntagm – When a sign appears in a sequence that creates a different meaning.

Signification – The process of making something.

Denotation – Barthes – the object the thing.

Connotation – an idea or feeling that is abstract to the meaning of intentions.

Myth – A false belief or idea.

Radical text – Challenges the dominant ideology.

1. Barthes: Ronald Barthes was a French literary theorist, Philosopher, Critic and a Semiotician. He studied many different fields.
2. Pierce: Charles Sanders Pierce was an American philosopher, logician, mathematician and a scientist. He was known as the ‘father of pragmatism’. He studied as a chemist and worked as a scientist for 30 years.
3. Saussure: Ferdinand de Saussure was a Swiss linguist and semiotician and his ideas put down the building blocks for development in linguistics and semiology in the 20th century. He is considered one of the founders of 20-century linguistics as well as a major founder of semiotics and semiology.
4. Semiotics: The study of signs and symbols, as well as their use of interpretation.
5. Sign: A sign can be a signal or action that is used to convey information or an action.
6. Signifier: A signifier is a signs physical state, such as a sound or a printed image, different from its meaning.
7. Signified: The meaning or idea shown by a sign.
8. Iconic sign: A direct representative symbol of an object.
9. Indexical sign: It’s a sign that strongly links to an object.
10. Symbol: Something thing that represents something else.
11. code: A system of words, letters or symbols to be represented as others.
12. Dominant Signifier: The most important sign.
13. Anchorage: A sign that fixes the meaning.
14. Ideaology: Set of ideas and beliefs.
15. Paradigm: A group of things.
16. Syntagm: A series of connected signs that have a meaning together.
17. Signifcation: Process of making meaning.
18. Denotation: Barthes: The meaning.
19. Connotation: An idea or feeling a word invokes.
20. Myth: Ideas made from connotations that create a dominant ideology.
21. A radical text: Challenges the dominant ideology.
22. A reactionary text: For the dominant ideology.

TASK 2: Write up a blog post that provides a short definition for the following terms:

1. Barthes = a French philosopher who came up with the idea of semiotics.
2. Pierce = Pierce introduced Pragmatism in the 1870’s. This means that for any statement to have meaning, it must have practical bearings.
3. Saussure = A Swiss professor of linguistics who changed how language was understood
4. Semiotics = The study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation often used in language or other forms of communication.
5. Sign = an object, quality
6. Signifier = comes from sassure and is the object
7. Signified
8. An Iconic Sign = which has a direct connection to its’ object (ie it looks or sounds like the object)
9. An Indexical Sign = which has an indirect link to its’ object (think smells)
10. A Symbolic Sign = which has a random or arbitary link based on a shared knowledge or an agreement, for example, a shared culture or language (think letters, words, writing, shapes, squiggles, colours, sound effects, facial expressions, hand gestures, clothing, hair styles, etc).
11. Code = a system of words/ figures or symbols that is used to represent others
12. Dominant Signifier = the most important sign
13. Anchorage = a sign that fixes the meaning
14. Ideology = a set of beliefs
15. Paradigm = a group of things
16. Syntagm = a series or pattern of signs that when they are connected, mean something
17. Signifcation = the process of making meaning
18. Denotation = Barthes came up with this. The object/thing
19. Connotation = An idea, association or feeling invoked alongside a literal meaning.
20. Myth = the ideas that are created by the connotation. Create a dominant ideology
21. A radical text = challenges the dominant ideology
22. A reactionary text = supports the dominant ideology

Barthes – A French leading theorist of semiotics.

C S Pierce – An American philosopher, scientist and mathematician sometimes known as the “father of pragmatism.”

Ferdinand De Saussure – A Swiss linguist and semiotician.

Semiotics – The study of signs and symbols and their use/interpretations.

Sign – An object, quality or event regarded as an indication of what is happening or what is going to happen.

Signified – The meaning/idea expressed by a sign.

Icon – A person/thing regarded as a representative symbol.

Index – A sign/measure of something.

Symbol – A mark/character used as a conventional representation of an object, function or process used o represent something such as an organisation.

Code – A system of words/letters/figures/ symbols used to represent others, especially for the purpose of secrecy. A phrase or concept used to represent others in an indirect way.

Dominant Signifier – main accepted meaning of a sign.

Anchorage – When a piece of media uses another piece of media to reduce the amount of connotations in the first piece.

Ideology – An ideology is a set of beliefs and values that a person or other entity has.

Paradigm – An example or pattern of something; a pattern or model.

Syntagm – When a sign appears in a sequence that creates a different meaning.

Signification – A representation or conveying of a message.

Denotation – The literal meaning of words in contrast to what the word suggests.

Connotation – an idea or feeling that is abstract to the meaning of intentions.

Myth – A false belief or idea.

 

1. Barthes – A french philosopher and one of the leading theorists of semiotics.
2. C S Pierce – An American philosopher, logician, mathematician and scientist. He is sometimes known as “the father of pragmatism.”
3. Saussure – A Swiss linguist and semanticist. Widely considered one of the founders of 20th century linguistics.
4. Semiotics – The study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation.
5. Sign – An event or object that is suggested as an indication or what is happening or going to happen.
6. Signifier – A signs physical form. For example, sound, image or a printed word.
7. Signified – An idea that is expressed by the sign.
8. Icon – A sign that is designed to look like an object that it represents.
9. Index – A sign or measure of something.
10. Symbol –
11. Code –
12. Dominant Signifier – The most important sign.
13. Anchorage – A sign that fixes the meaning.
14. Ideology – A set of ideas/beliefs/values.
15. Paradigm – A group of things/a pattern.
16. Syntagm – A series of signs that are put together.
17. Signifcation – The process of making me
18. Denotation – Barthes
19. Connotation – Barthes
20. Myth – The ideas created by connotations.
21. A radical text – Challenges dominant ideology.
22. A reactionary text – Agrees with ideology.

Barthes – One of the leading theorists of semiotics. Denotation and Connotation

C S Pierce – A scientist and philosopher best known as the earliest supporter of pragmatism (an approach that evaluates theories or beliefs in terms of the success of their practical application). Iconic, Indexical and symbolic signs.

Ferdinand De Saussure – A Swiss linguist and semiotician. Signifier and Signified

Semiotics – The study of signs and symbols as well as, their use or meaning.

Sign – An object or event relating to what is happening or going to happen.

Signifier – A sign’s physical form (such as a sound, printed word or image).

Signified – The meaning or idea presented by a sign.

Iconic Sign – Physically resembles what ‘it stands for’ (Looks like)

Indexical Sign – (Using sensory features) signs where the signifier is caused by the signified, e.g., smoke signifies fire

Symbol – A mark or character used as a representation of an object, function, or process/ A shape or sign used to represent something such as an organization. (Random)

Code – A system of words, letters, figures, or symbols used to represent others, especially for the purposes of secrecy/ A phrase or concept used to represent another in an indirect way.

Dominant Signifier – The most important sign on the page e.g a key/ main image.

Anchorage – When a piece of media uses another piece of media to reduce the amount of connotations in the first piece – so it can have a fixed meaning.

Ideology – An ideology is a set of beliefs and values that a person may have.

Paradigm – A typical example or pattern of something; a pattern or model. A set of linguistic items that form mutually exclusive choices in particular syntactic roles.

Syntagm – A unit where signs occur in sequence or parallel and go together to create meaning.

Signification – The representation or conveying of meaning/ importance.

Denotation – The literal or primary meaning of a word, in contrast to the feelings or ideas that the word suggests (Connotation).

Connotation – An idea or feeling which a word invokes for a person in addition to its literal or primary meaning.

Myth – A widely held but false belief or idea/ misinterpretation of the truth.

Dominant Ideology – Attitudes, beliefs, values shared by the majority of people in a society.

A Radical Text – Texts which challenge the dominant ideology

A reactionary Text – Texts which support the dominant ideology

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