Chain of Signification

Robbie Busch 2004

Chain of Signification (1)Signifier 1

(psychiatrist)

Let’s start off with a signifer, for example a psychiatrist.

Chain of Signification (1)Signifier 1

(psychiatrist)

Signified 1

(health professional)

The signifier one on one level, becomes a signified health professional. Thus, the sign that is created is that a psychiatrist is a health professional.

i.e.,

Signifier + Signified = Sign

Psychiatrist + Health Professional = Psychiatrist is a health professional

(But also remember that signs are unstable and fluid as well in meaning.)

Chain of Signification (1)Signifier

(psychiatrist)

Signified 1

(health professional)

Signified 2

(expert)

But on a deeper level, the psychiatrist is seen as the expert. So the signified becomes an ‘expert’ instead of a health professional. The health professional is in the process of erasure, but not completely erased; there is still a residual trace there.

Chain of Signification (1)Signifier

(psychiatrist)

Signified 1

(health professional)

Signified 2

(expert)

Signified 2

(psychiatrist = expert)

So the sign becomes that the psychiatrist is the expert.

Chain of Signification (1)Signifier

(psychiatrist)

Signified 1

(health professional)

Signified 2

(psychiatrist = expert)

Signified3

(male sage with authority)

But oh no! What’s happened here? The signified is no longer (because signified become almost instantaneously the signified), and on another level, the (temporary) signified becomes the ‘male sage of authority’!

Chain of Signification (1)Signifier

(psychiatrist)

Signified 1

(health professional)

Signified 2

(psychiatrist = expert)

Signified3

(male sage with authority)

Signified4

(psychiatrist = male sage who knows what is best for his patient)

Now, the part of the signified is partially reinterpreted with another meaning so that the psychiatrist is now seen as a male sage who knows what’s best for his patient.

Chain of Signification (1)Signifier

(psychiatrist)

Signifier 1

(health professional)

Signifier 2

(psychiatrist = expert)

Signifier3

(male sage with authority)

Signifier4

(psychiatrist = male sage who knows what is best for his patient)

It must noted that all signified become signifiers, and even the last signifier in this diagram will go on to be interpreted with a meaning at another level.

But for the moment, the psychiatrist who is seen as the male sage and knows what’s best for his patient is now part of a constructed hierarchical binary.

Chain of Signification (1)Signifier

(psychiatrist)

Signifier 1

(health professional)

Signifier 2

(psychiatrist = expert)

Signifier3

(male sage with authority)

Signifier4

(psychiatrist = male sage who knows what is best for his patient)

This hierarchical binary is the ‘psychiatrist-over-patient’ binary. Derridian deconstruction can now look at this binary and its assumptions and also look back at some of the traces (see the red arrows) that made this ultimate assumption of ‘psychiatrist over patient’. For example, what has ‘expertise’ and ‘authority’ got to do with thinking that they ‘know what the patient needs’?

Chain of Signification (2)

See what you can interpret from this next chain of signification that contains a hierarchical binary of Päkehä over Mäori…

Other New Zealanders

Other Skin colorsOther Racial Features &

Contributions to Society

Chain of Signification (2):A racist binary (Päkehä over Mäori)

Signifier 1 Signified becomes Signifier 2 Signified 2 becomes Signifier 3

Mäori Brown Exotic (Evil, Weak, Deviant)

Päkehä/NZ European WhiteInnocent, Strong

Civilized

White Man’s/Colonialist’s/Govt’s Burden to ‘educate’ Mäori

‘Moral’ Destinyof Päkehä

God & God’s Own/Godzone

Signifier 1 becomes Signified Signifier 2 becomes Signified 2

Hierarchical Binaries

Chain of Signification (2)A Possible Interpretation and Deconstruction Hierarchical binaries are created of Päkehä over Mäori. The Päkehä think they are burdened to ‘educate’/ tame/ temper Mäori

with Päkehä ways. Päkehä believed this was their moral obligation according to Päkehä ‘God and country’ (colonialist-based Päkehä religion and beliefs). In other words, one (Päkehä) New Zealand. A colloquial saying, ‘Godzone’, is often used in New Zealand (meaning God’s own and the zone of God) signifying New Zealand as pristine, innocent, pure (Päkehä) country.

This notion of Päkehä over Mäori can then be deconstructed by examining what is Päkehä and what is Mäori and the absurdity of the myth that is created between the two.

Chain of Signification (2)

(Interpretation and Deconstruction Cont’d)

Päkehä strengthen their hierarchical binary by de-emphasising or bracketing other races, ethnicities, cultures, and so on, and by ignoring important and valuable real and potential Mäori contributions to society via a process of erasure. This is absurd because Mäori have made important contributions to New Zealand society.