SEMIOTICS The Study of ‘Signs’ as a tool for Textual Analysis

SEMIOTICS

A sign in the study of semiotics can be any image, word, or sound.

Useful tool in image analysis and construction.

Semiotics focuses upon a process called signification.

SEMIOTICS

Linguist Ferdinand de Sassure argued that a ‘sign’ is made up of two parts the ‘signifier’ and the ‘signified’.

The ‘signifier’ refers to a physical entity (e.g a word, sound or an image). The ‘signified’ is the mental concept evoked by the ‘signifier’

E.g the image of a furry animal that barks (‘signifier’) evokes the mental concept of a dog (‘signified’)

Also if we see ‘dog’ written down on a piece of paper this will evoke the mental concept of a ‘dog’

SEMIOTICS

SIGNIFIER SIGNIFIED

(physical form) (mental concept)

SIGN

SEMIOTICS

This basic level of signification operates at the level of ‘denotation’. In other words we are simply identifying or ‘describing’ a sign.

A more complex level of signification operates at the level of ‘connotation’ these are more sophisticated mental associations we conjure up when we come across a particular sign.

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Denotation

furry animal, four legs, barks

Connotation

dirty, friendly, ‘mans best friend’ dangerous, etc..

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A connotative response is less fixed that a denotative response

and the associations ‘signified’ may well depend upon the individual, society or culture.

Cow (in western societies) = food, farms, BSE

Cow (in Hindu societies) = sacred, holy, respect

SEMIOTICS

Exercise

1. Write down a description of the class room at the level of ‘denotation’.

2. Add ‘connotations’ to your description.

Signifier Signified

Dog

SIGN (denotative)

Signifier Signified

Friendly

SIGN (connotative)

Remember at the second level of signification meaning is less ‘fixed’. The number of connotative response to the image of a dog will be varied and numerous although some will be more common than others. Shared connotations can be described as ‘socially agreed’

Furry animal, four legs, barks

Dog

The two levels of signification: DOG

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Another important pioneer in semiotics was the American Philosopher Charles Peirce

He identified three different types of signification:

Iconic

Indexical

Symbolic

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Iconic - An iconic sign is one that bears a resemblance to that which it represents ie a drawing of a rose.

Indexical - An indexical sign has a direct relationship or causal link to that which it represents, i.e. smoke is indexical of fire. These links can be physically established

Symbolic - Language is an example of a symbolic sign as a word’s relationship to that which it represents is random. Symbolic signs are recognised because they are ‘socially agreed’.

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Taking the drawing of a rose as an example, it is possible to look at it as in terms iconic, indexical and symbolic ‘signification’.

It is not only iconic but also indexical to a garden and symbolic of romance.

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Using the above sign what is it iconic of, indexical to and symbolic of? Iconic of: Indexical to: Symbolic of:

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In terms of image analysis and construction it is most useful to

consider signs at the level of connotation.

A useful exercise is to look at the connotation of certain colours. In pairs on an A4 piece of paper list connotative responses to certain colours then identity those which are indexical and those which are symbolic.

RED BLUE YELLOW PINK

GREEN

Using your knowledge of semiotics, pick 5 key images from your trailer take a screen shot and then copy onto a document

Questions to answer

•What denotes each image?

•What is connoted by each image and what indexical and symbolic associations are evoked?

•Focus upon every aspect of the ad, including the choice of font for example

Barthes and ‘Myth’.

Roland Barthes argued that some connotations are so widely held that they reach the level of ‘myth’.

Barthesian ‘myths’ have nothing to do with stories or legends and should not necessarily be seen as falsehoods.

A ‘myth’ according to Barthes is where a ‘socially agreed’ symbolic association becomes so widely accepted that it is seen as iconic.

Barthes and ‘Myth’.

For example this image of Marilyn Monroe could be seen to be iconic of the female sex.

A woman wearing make up, having long hair and wearing a dress or skirt are seen as being ‘natural’ signifiers of the female sex when in fact that are ‘socially agreed’.

Gender is ‘socially agreed’ where as sex is biologically determined. Barthes would argue that whilst this image could be seen as iconic of a woman it is actually purely symbolic.

Application of Semiotics

Semiotics can be a very useful tool in textual analysis in terms of uncovering the meaning of a text.

You can use the principles of Semiotics to analyse existing media products as well as your own practical work.