semiotics Flashcards
(28 cards)
what is a sign?
any motion, gesture, image, sound, pattern or event that conveys meaning
what is a denotation?
literal meaning of a thing
what is a connotation?
ideas that are connected and implied by a word/phrase/action etc
what is the signifier?
any material thing that signifies e.g. words on a page, a facial expression
what is signified?
the concept that a signifier refers to
what is an iconic sign/code?
where the signifier resembles the signified e.g. a photo
what is a indexical code?
assumed relationship where one leads to another
what is a symbolic code?
no obvious relationship between signifier and signified e.g. a rose signifying love
what is paradigm?
the possible choices of signifiers that are all suitable for a genre of texts and belong to a classification of signifiers
what is syntagm?
when grouped, the signifiers create meaning specific to the text through forming relationships and combinations with other signifiers around them
what does naturalisation mean?
the real feelings that media presents as a fact, creating a cultural myth (social norm)
what does message reduction mean?
media simplifies ideals to be digestible but in result it deintellectualises and depoliticises audiences from questioning and analysing
what does media myths reinforce existing social power structures mean?
those in power control the myth to maintain the illusion that the system we live in is unchangeable
what is a motif?
a repeated theme
what are barthes’ narrative codes?
(see other deck for detail)
- action/proairetic code
- symbolic code
- hermeneutic code/enigmic code
-semantic codes - cultural/referential codes
what does cultural myth mean?
an idea/connotation that is repeated so often in a culture, it becomes universally known within that culture
what is an ideology?
a belief or set of beliefs that an individual or group may have
what are the guys in power of media called?
hegemonic power structure/group
what are the characteristics of the hegemonic power group?
rich, white, british men
- they own the vast majority of british media
- we read their beliefs
what is a dominant ideology?
the main, accepted belief about a social group, issue or person that is more often not spread by the hegemonic power group through media
what does echo chamber mean?
when the information you get via social media is from a very select set of individuals/groups that you choose to follow: you have an almost total absence of any dissenting voice
what does encode mean?
the way in which texts are put together
what does patriarchy mean?
a system of society or government in which men hold the power and women are largely excluded from it
what does decoding mean?
the way in which texts can be disassembled for their meaning
