Relevance of semiology in media studies.

1. Prof. Selvi

2. What is Semiology ?
• Also called semiotics
• Derived from Greek ‘Semeion’
• It is the study of signs
• The Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure is the
founder
• It is the outcome of the structuralist
intellectual movement which flourished
during 1950’s and 60’s

3. Definition
• Saussure defines semiology as a
science that studies life of signs
within a society; which would
show what constitutes signs, what
laws govern them
• The meaning is not a quality
inherent in any sign but an aspect
of how that sign differs from other
signs

4. Media - semiology
• In a media context, semiology is concerned with
how meanings are generated in media text, such
as films or tv programmes.
• Semiology examines the signs and the relations
between them; it reveals the ways in which signs
are used, accepted and rejected to indicate the
tastes and desires of the wider society
• In doing so, it separates content from form and
concentrates on the system of signs that make up
the text

5. The Semiotic approach to construction
of Meaning
• We grow up looking at signs as some one told
us what they mean; and so we have an
automatic response to them
• According to Saussure, language is not the
medium by which reality is represented but
language is actually the medium through
which reality is constructed and articulated for
us

6. Components of sign
• Saussure analysed sign in 2 basic components
Signifier
(sound/material
aspects)
Signified
(conceptual /
thought )

7. Signifier
• In the case of a spoken language, signifier is
any meaningful sound made.
• In the case of a written language, signifier is
any meaningful word/mark written.
• In the case of a media, signifier is any image
which is relayed to the audience.

8. • A sign is a union of the signifier & the
signified.
• They form an indissociable unity like the two
sides of the same piece of paper
Signifier(…continued)

9. Example – sign components
• Signifier - Red colour heart
• Signified – A symbol of passion and love

10. Ronal Barthes’ Primary Level and
Secondary Level Signification
• Signification is the mechanism by which
meanings are produced and put into
circulation
• Barthes’ early work on popular culture
“Mythologies” is a collection of essays on
French popular culture
• In this work, he attempts to bring
the methodology of semiology

11. • In the last essay of the work “Myth today”,
Barthes outlines a semiological model for
reading popular culture
• He takes Saussure’s perspective of signifier-
signified = sign and adds to it a second level of
significance

12. Example
• The signifier Cat produces the signified cat – a
4 legged feline creature
• At the secondary level, cat refers to someone
cool and hip

13. Feline 5
• Extraversion
• Agreeableness
• Openness to experience
• Conscientious
• Neuroticism

14. Feline five
• Skittishness
• Outgoingness
• Dominance
• Spontaneity
• Friendliness

15. Denotation & Connotation
• Barthes substitutes the more familiar terms
denotation (primary signification) and
connotation (secondary signification)
• The denotation becomes the plane of
expression or signifier of the second system
i.e. connotation

16. Denotation
• It means the permanent sense of a word
excluding all subjective evaluation.
• It describes the literal or obvious meaning of
the sign without association to their culture,
ideology or society
• That is to say, we deal with sign as the basic
meaning that is independent of the context
and subjective interpretations as in
connotation

17. Connotation
• It explains the way the sign works
• It describes the interaction that occurs when
sign meets the feelings or emotions of the
users and the values of their culture.
• Connotation for Barthes is a reproduction of
the message whether linguistic or visual
• He also sees it as a product of mental abilities
responsible on reading between the lines

19. • Barthes demonstrates
semiotic analysis with
the example of a front
cover from Paris Match
• Shows a young black
soldier in French
uniform saluting
Barthes’ Demonstration

20. • Primary signification
Black soldier saluting
• Secondary signification
Positive image of
French imperialism

21. Thank You..!