Key terms – semiotics

Sign- stands in for something else

Code- used to construct meaning in media forms

Convention- the accepted way of doing something

Dominant signifier- the main thing that stands in for something else

Anchorage- words that go along with an image to give meaning of context

Saussure

Signifier- stands in for something else

Signified- thing or idea trying to be evoked

Pierce

Icon- physically resembles thing or idea

Index- direct relation to thing or idea

Symbol- no relation/ decided by society two things should be linked

Barthes

Signification- process of the construction of meaning from the signs

Denotation- first level analysis (what a reader can see on the page)

Connotation- meanings or associations we have with the image

Myth- naturalizes events turning history into nature

Ideology- a world view about how society should fuction

Radical- something you wouldn’t expect / out of the ordinary

Reactionary- what you would expect/ follows stereotypes

Paradigm- how we can create differentiation in meaning

Syntagm- an orderly combination of interacting signifiers which forms a meaningful whole

Key language induction

Semiotics

Sign – Something which stand for something else

Code – Technical, written and symbolic tools used to suggest or create meaning in media forms

Convention – Accepted ways of doing something

Dominant signifier – The main representative

Anchorage – Words with an image to give context

Ferdinand de Saussure

Signifier – Stands in for something else

Signified – Idea being evoked by signifier

C S Pierce

Iconic – An icon is something that looks like an object e.g. camera work, sets, props

Index – A sign that has a link to its object e.g. sounds or props

Symbol – A sign that has an arbitrary or random link to its object (colours, shapes, textures)

Roland Barthes

Signification – Structural levels of signification, meaning or representation

Denotation – First level analysis (what a reader can see on the page)

Connotation – Meaning or associations we have with an image

Myth – Naturalises events turning history into nature

Ideology – A world view about how society should function

Radical – Something you would not expect/out of the ordinary

Reactionary – What you would expect/follows stereotypes

Paradigm – A typical example or pattern of something

Syntagym – An orderly combination of interacting signifiers which forms a meaningful whole

key language- 19 definitions

Semiotics:

Sign– something that could stand for something else, e.g words, drawings, photographs.

Code– Technical, written and symbolic tools used to construct or suggest meaning in media forms and products, e.g. camera.

Convention– Generally accepted ways of doing something.

Dominant Signifier– The main representative of something.

Anchorage – Words that go with an image to provide context.

Ferdinand De Saussure:

Signifier – Stands in for something else.

Signified -Idea being evoked by signifier.

C S Pierce:

Icon – A sign that looks like an object/person, e.g picture of a lamp.

Index – A sign that has a link to its object, e.g smoke and fire.

Symbol – A sign that has a more random link to its object, e.g colour, shape.

Roland Barthes:

Signification – Structural levels of signification, meaning or representation.

Denotation –  The most basic or literal meaning of a sign.

Connotation – The secondary, cultural meanings of signs; or “signifying signs,” signs that are used as signifiers for a secondary meaning. (what its associated with.)

Myth –  how words and images are systematically used to communicate cultural and political meanings, in texts such as advertisements, magazines, films, or TV programs.

Ideology – codes that reinforce or in agreement with structures of power.

Radical – Something that challenges dominant ideas.

Reactionary – Something that confirms dominant ideas.

Paradigm– a typical example or pattern of something. (collection of something)

Syntagm – an orderly combination of interacting signifiers which forms a meaningful whole. (sequence of signs)

SEMIOTICS – KEY LANGUAGE + NOTES

Semiotics

SignSomething that stands for something different.
CodeSystems of signs. Symbols that represent something.
ConventionWays of using media codes.
Dominant SignifierA signifier is the item that we ‘read’, such as a picture or sign. The dominant signifier is the most important signifier
Anchorage Words that accompany an image and give the meaning associated with the image. This gives the image a specific context.

Ferdinand de Saussure

Signifier The item, image or sign that we ‘read’ and take meaning from.
SignifiedThe meaning that we take and express from the signifier.

C S Pierce

Icon A sign that looks like its object.
Index A sign that has a link to its object
Symbol A sign that has an arbitrary or random link to its object (eg. colour)

Roland Barthes

Signification The representation of the meaning.
Denotation A description of what we can see in the image.
Connotation The meanings and associations we have with the image, the deeper meaning.
Myth How words and images are systematically used to communicate cultural and political meanings.
Ideology A body of ideas or set of beliefs that people have regarding different technologies.
Radical Something that goes against the stereotypical norm, something that you wouldn’t typically expect.
ReactionarySomething that stays in line with a stereotype. Something that you would expect.
ParadigmA collection of signs that are connected and relatable to each other.
Syntagm A collection of signs and how they are put together as one

Without anchorage, Roland Barthes suggests that media imagery is likely to produce polysemic connotations or multiple meanings. Anchorage constructs “a vice which holds the connoted meanings from proliferating” (Barthes 2007).

key language- natasha

Semiotics

  1. Sign– An object or thing that stands in for something else
  2. Code– Symbols that create meaning in something
  3. Convention– Ways of using code in media
  4. Dominant Signifier– The main representative
  5. Anchorage– Images that has words to create context

Ferdinand De Saussure- A Swiss linguist, philosopher and semiotician

  1. Signifier– An object that conveys meaning/stands for something
  2. Signified– The meaning expressed from the signifier/sign

C S Pierce- An American Philosopher

  1. Icon– A sign that looks like the object its representing
  2. Index– A sign where the link is caused by the object
  3. Symbol– A sign that has a rule to link to its object

Roland Barthes-

  1. Signification– Representation of the meaning
  2. Denotation– The literal meaning
  3. Connotation– The interpretation of a meaning
  4. Myth– Naturalises events, turning history into nature
  5. Ideology– Codes that reinforce structures of power
  6. Radical– Things you wouldn’t usually expect, counter typical
  7. Reactionary– Things you typically expect, stereotypical
  1. Paradigm– A typical example/pattern of something
  2. Syntagm– A set of linguistic forms that are in sequential relationship to one another

key language

CS Pierce

index – A sign with a link to its object

icon– a sign which looks like its object

symbol– a sign with a more random link to its object

Semiotics

sign– something that stands in for something else

code– symbolic tools that are used to create meaning

dominant signifier– the main representative

anchorage– words that have an image to give context

Ferdinand De Saussure

signified– an idea which is summoned by the signifier

signifier– something which stands in for something else

Roland Barthes

Myth– the most apparent quantity of signification which disfigures the meaning by validating arbitrary cultural assumptions in a similar way to the denotative sign.

Radical– something which challenges dominant ideas.

Reactionary– dominant ideas which are confirmed by something

ideology– the reinforcement of codes which are congruent with structures of power

denotation– literal or basic meaning of a sign

connotation– the secondary cultural meaning of signs or “signifying signs,” which are then used as the signifiers for a secondary meaning.

paradigm – A collection of similar signs.

syntagm – The sequence which words have been put in to.

Key language

Semiotics

Sign – In semiotics, a sign is anything that communicates a meaning that is not the sign itself to the interpreter of the sign.

Code – In semiotics, a code is a set of conventions or sub-codes currently in use to communicate meaning.

Convention –

Dominant Signifier – any material thing that signifies, e.g., words on a page, a facial expression, an image. 

Anchorage – The term anchorage is used to describe how the combination of elements within a sign fit together and fix the meaning. Anchorage is the way different media language elements combine to help fix the meaning that a producer wants to convey to the audience.

Ferdinand de Saussure

Signifier – n/a

Signified – Signified is a concept, most commonly related to semiotics, that can be described as “the study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation.

C S Pierce

Icon – an icon, which resembles its referent (such as a road sign for falling rocks); (2) an index, which is associated with its referent (as smoke is a sign of fire); and (3) a symbol, which is related to its referent only by convention

Index – An index describes the connection between signifier and signified. With an index, the signifier can not exist without the presence of the signified. For example smoke is an index of fire and dark clouds are an index of rain.

Symbol – Signs where the relation between signifier and signified is purely conventional and culturally specific, e.g., most words.

Roland Barthes

Signification – n/a

Denotation – The most basic or literal meaning of a sign, e.g., the word “rose” signifies a particular kind of flower.

Connotation – The secondary, cultural meanings of signs; or “signifying signs,” signs that are used as signifiers for a secondary meaning, e.g., the word “rose” signifies passion.

Myth – A combination of paradigms and syntagms that make up an oft-told story with elaborate cultural associations, e.g., the cowboy myth, the romance myth.

Ideology – A codes that reinforce or are congruent with structures of power. Ideology works largely by creating forms of “common sense,” of the taken-for-granted in everyday life.

Radical – A piece of media which challenges the common perception of the group its about.

Reactionary – A piece of media which reflects the usual perception of the group its about.

statement of intent

Statement Of Intent

The intention behind this article is to understand how a dancers lifestyle works. As a young dancer balancing other duties such as school can be difficult. With the Covid 19 pandemic hitting performers hard, putting people out of jobs, leaving some wondering what their next move might be. With dance being seen daily, whether that’s in shows, tv or movies it’s interesting to find out how different it is from a ‘typical’ job. Miriam is a very inspiring friend, so I thought it was suiting to choose to interview her. Through seeing her perform I could notice her strive for education and dance additionally.

If I was to do this task again, I would probably choose to interview someone based on a topic of which is in the media currently e.g., a nurse working in the Covid19 pandemic.

I created an article, set out in an interview style to show the true and natural answers to the questions I had to ask her. I used a picture of Miriam in my article, to show the reader who the article was about. My article was written to challenge the stereotypes of what are ‘typical’ job is and what Miriam’s impression of the media is. I think that this article would be shown in a magazine.