Terminology

  • Icon – Sign that physically resembles what it signifies
  • Index – Sign that has a direct, causal relationship with what it signifies.
  • Paradigm – Sets of signs from which one is chosen to convey meaning
  • Syntagm – The structure or order in which elements are combined.
  • Diegesis – Fictional world in which the narrative takes place.
  • ‘Genre as cultural category’ – Genres are not just textual features but cultural constructs shaped by audiences.
  • Mytheme – Mythemes combine to form myths or stories.
  • Cultural codes – Systems of meaning that are understood and shared by a particular culture.
  • Intertextuality – The way in which texts refer to or draw on other texts, creating a network of meaning through references.
  • Implosion – The collapse of boundaries between reality and representation.
  • Simulacra – A representation or imitation of a person or thing.
  • Hegemony – The dominance of one social group over others, maintained through ideology rather than force.
  • Intersectionality – Concept that examines how various social identities (like race, gender, sexuality, and class) intersect.
  • Orientalism – A concept by Edward Said that critiques how Western cultures represent Eastern societies as exotic, backward, or uncivilized.
  • Cumulation – The process by which repeated messages or representations accumulate over time, reinforcing a particular idea or ideology.
  • Enculturation – The process through which individuals learn and adopt the values and norms of their culture.
  • Bardic function – The role media plays in maintaining and disseminating dominant social values.

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