...Ashesi University Subject: Text and Meaning Lecturer: Mr. Mark Poynter Date: 5th October 2009 Assignment: Assessment Point One Essay Title: No. 4) Analyze a movie poster from a film directed by Martin Scorsese and then, with reference to the ideas of Pierce and Saussure, apply techniques in Semiotics and Semiology in order to illustrate how the text can be interpreted. Any and every piece of text in this world has meaning, or a point it is trying to put across. If you look at a portrait, or a page in a book, different aspects of the picture, or the way the words are put together on the page, all have purpose; To convey a certain message. This technique of analyzing different parts of texts, using signs and symbols, is termed “semiotics. [1] In this essay, we shall be using the techniques of semiotics, to interpret a poster of renowned Director, Martin Scorsese’s blockbuster movie, “Shutter Island”. According to Ferdinand de Saussure and Charles S. Pierce, two founding fathers of semiotics; a sign consists of “the signifier” and “the signified”. The signifier of a sign is the form in which the sign takes, and the signified stands for what the sign represents. [2] Let’s take for example, a picture of a young boy crying. In this scenario, the little boys face would be a sign, the act of him crying would be the signifier, and the signified would probably be that the boy is sad because something has gone wrong. Delving deeper into semiotic analysis, there are two types of relationships...
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...MEMISIS-IMITATION- A CONCEPT OF PLATO IN REPUBLIC ART- ESSENCE THAT NEEDS TO BE CAPTURED- ARISTOTLE/ NITZSCHE THE PROBLEM OF TRUTH- FOR PLATO TRUTH IS DIFFRENT FROM ART AND NIT CONSIDER ART AS CAPTURING TRUTH CAN WE EQUATE CULTURE AND NATURE (COUNTRY) as Paz do in his work MOVEMENT OF NATURE AND TIME THE RELTn IS NOT PURE LIKE ARISTOTLE NATURE IS NO MORE ETERNAL BUT SOMETHING FLEETING AND IN THE PROCESS IMITATE TIME AND NATURE “THERE IS NO ORIGINAL WORK, THERE ARE ONLY TRASLATION AND TRANSLATIONS OF TRANSLATION” THE ORIGINAL IS ALWAYS UNFAITHFUL TO THE TRANSLATION........ HIS POEM ALSO OFFER A CRITICISM OF ITSELF THE “I” IS DEFLECTED OR A MARGINAL PRESCENCE PAUSEK THE IDEA OF MOMENT OUTSIDE TIME THE IDEA OF Tangible and Intangible Estrangement NAME- RANJANA NAGAR SUPERVISOR- RAJAN KRISHNAN COURSE- ADVANCED READING IN SIGN THEORY PhD LITERARY ART/ STUDIES Report on the Advanced Readings in Sign Theory course From the discussions and readings in the class, I have tried to accumulate different ideas and debates and develop my own understanding of the process of semiotics. Taking up the examples of painting by MF Husain and Van Dyke, I will illustrate several points that I have understood. Let me begin with a general definition of “semiotics” that I had at the beginning of the course: Semiotics can be understood as a process involved with meaning making. It explains how various words, objects and images generate meaning or in other words how do...
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...Conclusion…………………………………………........................14 REFERENCES…………………………………………………………………………………….15 Introduction Statement of the problem and purpose The idea of the linguistic sign, which is today asserted or implied in most works of general linguistics, came from Ferdinand de Saussure. Ferdinand de Saussure was a Swiss linguist whose ideas laid a foundation for many significant developments in linguistics in the 20th century. He is widely considered one of the fathers of 20th-century linguistics. Saussure's ideas had a major impact on the development of linguistic theory in the first half of the 20th century. Two currents of thought emerged independently of each other, one in Europe, the other in America. The results of each incorporated the basic notions of Saussurean thought in forming the central tenets of structural linguistics. Saussure posited that linguistic form is arbitrary, and therefore all languages function in a similar fashion. According to Saussure, a language is arbitrary because it is systematic in that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Also, all languages have their own concepts and sound images (or signifieds and signifiers). Therefore, Saussure argues, languages have a relational conception of their elements: words and their meanings are defined by comparing and contrasting their meanings to one another. For instance, the sound images for and the conception of a book differ from the sound images for and the conception of a...
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...Ferdinand de Saussure El siglo XX instaura lo que se denomina la lingüística moderna, cuyo fundador reconocido es sin lugar a dudas el lingüista suizo, nacido en Ginebra. El suizo Ferdinand de Saussure (1857-1913) fue uno de los principales teóricos del signo lingüístico, al definirlo como la asociación más importante en la comunicación humana. Para Saussure, el signo está formado por un significante (una imagen acústica) y un significado (la idea principal que tenemos en mente respecto a cualquier palabra). Ferdinand de Saussure (1857-1913) •Considerado el “padre” de la lingüística Para Saussure, la semiología debía estudiar la lengua únicamente, ya que no tenía su objeto de estudio bien delimitado, para poder explicar la mayor cantidad de lenguas y poder deducir los fenómenos de la lingüística. La lengua es un componente del lenguaje junto con el habla. Es el dominio de las articulaciones, en los acules cada termino lingüístico es un miembro, donde se fija la idea en un sonido y un sonido se hace el signo de una idea. Ferdinand de Saussure Ha influido en las generaciones posteriores de una manera decisiva. Esa influencia la ejerció a partir de una recopilación de sus conferencias, reconstruidas a partir de los cuadernos de apuntes de sus discípulos, que se publicó por primera vez en 1916. El Curso de Lingüística General, preparado por dos de sus discípulos (Charles Bally y Albert Sechehaye), presenta por lo tanto unas características que hacen...
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...Saussure's work, and its basis in his concepts of langue and parole. The French words, langue, language or tongue and parole, speech are concepts by Ferdinand de Saussure and deal with general Linguistics or grammar. (Stoney, 113) According to remember to use text in answer) Structuralism focuses on the way human behavior is not an autonomous choice but shaped by underlying structures. (Stoney, 112) Structuralists tend to not doubt the existence of “reality,” that is some material, human, or social- economic bedrock that lies under an idea. Structuralism is an intellectual movement that was developed in Europe from the early to mid-20th century. (Stoney, 113) It argued that human culture may be understood by means of a structure or organization that is modeled on language. (Stoney, 115) Poststructuralists, on the other hand, do doubt the existence of reality, or at the very least they emphasize the Saussure langue is the method of speaking and parole is the individual sound of langue. (Stoney,113) Saussure suggested that meaning was to be found within the structure of a whole language rather than in the analysis of individual words. Psychoanalysts attempted to describe the structure of the mind in terms of an unconscious. In the 1960's, the structuralist movement, based in France, attempted to synthesize the ideas Saussure. They disagreed with the claim that each man is what he makes himself. (Human centric) For the structuralist the individual is...
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...CHAPTE CHAPTER 2 ARTICULATORY, ACOUSTIC AND AUDITORY PHONETICS. PHONOLOGY 2.1. Phonetics and phonology Two terms are (often loosely) used to refer to linguistic disciplines studying that part of the linguistic sign which de Saussure called the acoustic image: phonetics and phonology. The importance of sounds as vehicles of meaning is something people have been aware of for thousands of years. However, systematic studies on the speech sounds only appeared with the development of modern sciences. The term phonetics used in connection with such studies comes from Greek and its origins can be traced back to the verb phōnein, to speak, in its turn related to phōnē, sound. The end of the 18th century witnessed a revival of the interest in the studying of the sounds of various languages and the introduction of the term phonology. The latter comes to be, however, distinguished from the former only more than a century later with the development of structuralism which emphasizes the essential contrastive role of classes of sounds which are labeled phonemes. The terms continue to be used, however, indiscriminately until the prestige of phonology as a distinct discipline is finally established in the first half of the 20th century. Though there is no universally accepted point of view about a clear-cut border line between the respective domains of phonetics and phonology as, indeed, we cannot talk about a phonological system ignoring the phonetic aspects it involves and, on the other...
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...In Grammar for Poets, Michael Ryan compares the “fixed word-order” of the English language to a “mystery novel whose plot we already know.” Ryan’s point stands very true. Although the English language could be thought to be very complex and capable of innumerable variations, it really isn’t. It’s a repetitive cycle of just a noun following a verb that has already followed a subject. That’s really what it boils down to, just an endless game of MADLIBS. Poetry however, adds a little twist to the average sentence that we are all so used to, and extremely professional at forming. Poetry has the ability to cut sentences up into lines and in the words of Ferdinand de Saussure, “produces a unique kind of musical meaning that explands the meaning of sentences as they unfold. In Frederick Douglass by Hayden for example, the 14-lined poem is technically all one sentence that inevitably is unable to follow the regular S-V-O form. By doing this, the poem is rhythmic and more powerful. It turns what a could be a boring history book paragraph about a historical figure into a beautiful work of art and sound: “this man, this Douglass, this former slave, this Negro / where none is lonely, none hunted, alien, / this man, superb in love and logic, this man.” Or in What the Living Do by Marie Howe, although this poem is more story-telling than rhythmic, it still remains to be, well, rhythmic. This is due to the way that the sentences are split up into lines, and how sometimes the S-V-O law...
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...Why does 'difference' matter? It is a rather theoretical discussion, tracing some of the academic reflections on the role of difference in the ways we make sense of things. Hall outlines four arguments about difference which have something to say about how we perceive and relate to difference. 1. The linguistic argument (made by Ferdinand de Saussure) that difference is central to making sense of things. We make sense of 'white' by comparing it to 'black', of 'male' by comparing it with 'female' and so on. Yet, this way of thinking emphasizes the opposites - there is a range of grays in between black and white. One may choose to see how black turns gradually into white; or one may choose to see black versus white. I'm talking about colors; but one can easily talk about race, ethnicity, gender in the same way. 2. The dialogic argument (made by Mikhail Bakhtin) that difference is central to understanding and communication, because we communicate and make sense of things in a dialogue with another person. It is by participating in this dialogue and by confronting the different ideas we have that we make sense of things. So, difference is seen here as central to understanding. 3. The anthropological argument (made by DuGay and Hall; Mary Douglas) that each culture gives meaning by classifying things. Classification means emphasizing the difference; better said: when you classify something, there is a principle according to which you decide it is different or similar - so...
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...There is nothing more iconic on the road today than the stop sign. Whether it be an advertisement for the latest iPad, a classic Pontiac GTO, or even the Route 66 sign, the stop sign garners more attention than any other object on the road today. But this sign is more than a nagging regulation, it is the embodiment of American culture. This seemingly insignificant display says so many things about the values that Americans hold dear and the nature of American culture. The stop sign represents the international influence of American culture, the pioneering innovation which drives legislation around the world, and the widespread use of automobiles in the United States. The stop sign represents American culture because, like many other American creations, it is internationally renowned. When I was in France living with a French family, I desperately searched for objects to connect me back to my American cultural roots. The most obvious? The stop sign. No matter where one goes, the stop sign will almost always maintain its classic red, octagonal appearance and block letters. Sure, some regions, like Quebec, may impose laws that prohibit the sign from being in English, but the American influence is still undeniable (Quebec 1). In essence, America is the ancient Rome of this age, except much more influential. The stop sign represents the fact that no matter where one goes, there will always be at least one American influence. This is a testimony to the greatness of America, as no other...
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...first we have to know that： Representation is an essential part of the process by which meaning is produced and exchanged between members of a culture. It does involve the use of language, of signs and images which stand for or represent things. And surly it is not a simple or straightforward process. How this article exploring the concept of representation connect meaning and language to culture？ We will be drawing a distinction between three different account or theories：the reflective, the intentional and the constructionist approaches to representation. Most of this text will be exploring the constructionist approach with two major variants or models of the constructionist approach, the semiotic approach- Ferdinand de Saussure and the discursive approach- Michel Foucault. But we have to answer the question first：what does the word representation really mean？ 1.1 Making meaning, Representing things Representation is the production of the meaning of the concepts in our minds through language. There are two processes, two systems of representation. First, there is the system by which all sort of objects, people and events are correlated with a set of concepts or mental representations which we carry around in our heads.（like chair, table） Second, Language is therefore the second system of representation. (When we say we belong to the same culture, it is because we interpret the world in similar ways. That’s why culture is sometimes...
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...Proficiency Level of English Communication Skills of BSHM-HRM Students in EARIST Cavite Campus: Input for Enhancement Program In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements For the Degree of Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management ABSTRACT English is considered as the universal language therefore it is commonly used as medium of instruction in school, home, and even in society. Being proficient in it is an edge in many aspects like in career, technology, society and even in travelling foreign countries. However,despite of the advantages of being proficient in it, still most of the students were not able to express themselves properly. For some reason, some students could not achieve this we called English Language Proficiency. This study aims to determine the English language proficiency of BSHM-HRM students of EARIST Cavite Campus, Academic Year 2014-2015. A total of fifty (50) selected BSHM-HRM students were taken as respondents of the study. The questionnaire was the data-gathering instrument used. CHAPTER 1 THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND INTRODUCTION Hospitality Industry is one of the largest and fastest growing industries in the world. Hence, it involves dealing with different people from different countries. In order to communicate with them, English proficiency is being used. Considered as a universal language, it is no wonder that most of the universities worldwide include English as one of their major subjects. Hence, it is...
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...Signs appear in everyday contemporary societies. Signs are saturated with a lot of meanings and they relate to any language and are there to make us understand things through relating words with concepts like the word ‘silence’ which is a sign of communication that is indicative of meaning and it is ideological, it is also power to talk. Sign theory is an eccentric war of communication. It focuses on the discourse analysis where it focuses on language, power and ideology. Intelligence services are a key component of every state and their mandate is to ensure the security of states and they make use of the sign theory to supply the policy makers with information or intelligence which is fundamental in the policy making process. Evaluation and analysis’ role is to cast information into its proper intelligence framework and in the process minimising being biased. If evaluation and analysis is quality the intelligence given to policy makers will help policy makers to come up with quality policies and if the evaluation and analysis is poor obviously the policy makers will come up with ineffective policies. There are repercussions if intelligence services fail to analyse. Sign theory help in deductive, inductive and abductive types of reasoning. In this discourse I will define the sign theory, evaluation, analysis, four tools of analysis and the implications of sign theory to evaluation and analysis as a process which is scientific, logical, methodological and verifiable. Theory is...
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...Teorias da Comunicação 1.1 Linguagem, língua, fala e discurso – Bibliografia: Júlia Kristeva – História da Linguagem; Adriano Duarte Rodrigues - Comunicação e Cultura; Introdução - A linguagem é um objecto de reflexão específico há vários anos, mas a ciência linguística é muito recente. - Uma das mais importantes características da nossa época é a concepção da linguagem como “chave” do Homem e da história social, como via de acesso às leis do funcionamento da sociedade. Hoje, a linguagem, cuja prática o Homem sempre dominou, é isolada e “colocada à distância” para ser captada enquanto objecto de conhecimento particular. - A relação do sujeito falante com a linguagem conheceu duas etapas: primeiro, pretendeuse conhecer o que já se sabia praticar (a linguagem), ou seja, obrigou-se o falante a dizer o modo como diz, o que permitiu ao Homem não se considerar já como entidade soberana mas analisar-se como um sistema falante na linguagem. Em seguida, projectou-se o conhecimento científico da linguagem sobre o conjunto da prática social. Linguagem… - Cada época e cada civilização vê a linguagem em função dos moldes (crenças, ideologia…) que a constituem a si própria. Assim, actualmente, são as visões da linguagem como sistema e os seus problemas de funcionamento que predominam. Linguagem, fala, língua, discurso… - Independentemente da época ou civilização, a linguagem é tomada como um sistema extremamente complexo. - Vista do exterior, a linguagem reveste-se de um carácter material diversificado:...
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...a professional football player d. His parents never read any of his books e. Failed his first entrance exam into Ecole Normale Superieure but eventually earned his Philosophy degree in 1956 f. He is arrested for transporting drugs in Prague, Czech Rep. but it is later discovered that the drugs were planted on him by the police. g. He had two siblings die. One older brother died in infancy just a year before his birth. h. Met his wife Marguerite Aucouturier in the snow while on holiday with schoolmates in 1957. They have two sons, Pierre and Jean. i. Died in Paris of Pancreatic Cancer on October 8 2004 II. Influences a. Nietzsche, Husserl, Freud, Heidegger, Saussure, Rousseau, and Gide were all early influences for Derrida b. “Derrida said that for Gide, he had a fetish and that he knew several of his books by heart (Derrida 1995b, 341). The effects of Rousseau and Nietzsche in forming a mentality composed of key religious and atheistic concepts such as Nature, God, and Writing are incalculable” (Powell) c. Nietzsche’s skepticism influences Derrida. “Nietzsche (like Derrida) sets out to expose some of the ruses that have kept philosophy from examining its own constitutive figures and metaphors.” (Norris, 203) d. Freud’s questioning of the human psyche and his comparison of the unconscious to a ‘Mystic Writing Pad’(a 3 layered children’s writing tablet made of wax and...
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...lifestyles and social identities (Dyer, 1982). Semiotic analysis is the study of “signs” to understand the underlying rules of messages we receive, and looks at the sign itself, the codes which organise it and the cultural context in which the code and sign make sense (Fiske, 1990). Discursive analysis on the other hand focuses more on the “discourses” that give meaning to representations such as advertisements, and how representations produce social knowledge (Hall 1997). Both approaches have significant differences, yet when combined can help achieve a thorough analysis of advertisements in relation to the influence it has on social identity and society. Ferdinand de Saussure contributed greatly to semiotic study. He prophesised a study of “signs within a society” and labelled it “semiology” (Hall 1997). Saussure took a structural look at how signs constructed meaning by presenting a signifier which signifies certain ideas within a cultural context. These signifiers are understood through various codes which are embedded within specific cultures (Fiske, 1990). In the context of advertising, this model allows us to decipher the signifiers and what they signify, and in essence understand the “true” but relative meaning of the particular advert. Fig 1. In Givenchy’s “Gentlemen Only” advertisement the signifiers could be the body language, clothing, the celebrity, and the words. The idea of a man giving up his umbrella in such conditions signifies self-sacrifice and kindness and...
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