Jorgen Dines Johansen, 2002, define Semiotics as: when particular things/objects are perceived as a certain phenomena in such a way that they refer to something else than themselves.
As what the above define, semiotics is when a certain phenomena (i.e. objects, trends) are constructed having certain meanings, not particularly similar to different cultures.
Semiotics inslusive of:
Signifier
Signified
Sign
Denotation
Connotation
Codes
Anchoring
Daniel Chandler, 1994 said that Signs are made of:
- a 'signifier' (signifiant) - the form which the sign takes; and
- the 'signified' (signifié) - the concept it represents.
Example below:
Basically, signifier are of the five sense. simple uninterpreted things we see, hear, smell, touch and taste.
Types of signs
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| Symbolic- difficult to familiarize with |
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| Indexical - not so clear but understandable |
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| Iconic- similar to the real thing. i.e: Clear photo |
Structuralism (Basic concept identification of underlying structures within society)
Example below:
Human Skull: The framework of our head, the bony structure creating the figure of our faces |
Different people have different views on these skulls.
Doctors:
they study them, to perform surgery, to identify different cases, etc. All in all, skull is just a mean of education to them.
they study them, to perform surgery, to identify different cases, etc. All in all, skull is just a mean of education to them.
In Fashion:
The youngsters sees skull as a trend, having them on trousers, shirts etc.
The youngsters sees skull as a trend, having them on trousers, shirts etc.
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| Skulls and Fashion |
Pirates:
The flag most commonly identified as the Jolly Roger today is the skull and crossbones, a flag consisting of a human skull above two long bones set in an x-mark arrangement on a black field.
The flag most commonly identified as the Jolly Roger today is the skull and crossbones, a flag consisting of a human skull above two long bones set in an x-mark arrangement on a black field.
Phrenologist:
Phrenology is the science which studies the relationships between a person's character and the morphology of the skull. They study the shape and protuberances of the skull.
Denotation and connotation of human skulls.
The skull and crossbones signify "Poison" when they appear on a glass bottle containing a white powder, or any container in general. (Toxic Sign)
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Denotation: Bottle Connotation: Poison, Danger, Death etc. |
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Denotation: Flag Connotation: Pirates, Danger, Uncivilized People, Killers etc. |
Denotation: Warning Sign |
Connotation: Danger Ahead, To not move further etc. |
Hence, human skulls are interpreted differently within cultures. Some sees it as threat while others find it an eye candy and a sense of fashion. Thus, semiotics helps to find the embedded meaning of what these skulls are to different individual.
Codes
If you were to share the Fist with another group, they will obviously not know until told otherwise.
Anchoring
Example below:
Codes
Chandler said that codes are not simply 'conventions' of communication but rather procedural systems of related conventions which operate in certain domains. Codes organize signs into meaningful systems which correlate signifiers and signifieds. Codes transcend single texts, linking them together in an interpretative framework. Stephen Heath notes that 'while every code is a system, not every system is a code' (Heath 1981, 130). He adds that 'a code is distinguished by its coherence, its homogeneity, its systematicity, in the face of the heterogeneity of the message, articulated across several codes.
Codes are:
- a set of rules agreed upon a community.
Only within this community, are these codes understood. Others may understand them but most wouldn't.
Example C1:
Typically, if a group of friends are to hike, and at one point, they were to separate, and are to meet at that particular point in an hour. They decided to call that point the "Fist", for there is a hill shaped almost like a fist nearby.
So the code here is "Fist" understood only by that group of friends.
- these rules are used to interpret signs
refer to example C1:
The code Fist are use to interpret the Sign (signified+signified) which is the hill which looks like a Fist.
- without knowledge of cultural codes, the interpretation of the sign cannot be understood by others
If you were to share the Fist with another group, they will obviously not know until told otherwise.
Anchoring
Anchorage is text (such as a caption) that provides the link between the image/video and its context; the text that provides relevance to the reader.
Example below:
It's a clever way to associate comedy with anchoring to get viewer's attention.
For the first 20 seconds of the advert, the viewers might not even know what it's all about apart from being funny. Having to not know the real reason of the advert, viewers might assume and guess a number of things.
such as,
- hygiene, to not eat things off the floor
- dogs, uniting people
- the older generation not understanding the younger ones
When the caption, "Don't judge too quickly" appears, the viewers then starts to understand as their mind is anchored on how it is about "judgments".
Then "we won't" appears, telling them that it's a narrative of someone asking them to trust that they won't judge them or rather customers, quickly. (an act of pulling customers)
The Company's name then closes the deal, reminding viewers that the mortgage company will take seriously any request for a home loan.
So, anchoring
- is a powerful tool that shapes how we view and see things
- ;to anchor the meaning of the sign so that only a specific interpretation is favored. Without this, interpretation of the image/video can be of many directions.
Another example:
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"The semiotic toolkit helps you think in an organised way about what you are looking at, and notice similarities and differences in the data within a categoryor sector" -quoted by Rachel Lawes, define Research &Marketing Interenational Plc , 2002, p.7
References:
Jorgen Dines Johansen, Svend Erik Larsen ,Signs in Use: An Introduction to Semiotics, 2002, p.1
Chandler, Daniel (1994): Semiotics for Beginners http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/S4B/sem02.html
Chandler, Daniel (1994): Semiotics for Beginners http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/S4B/sem02.html
Rachel Lawes, define Research &Marketing Interenational Plc , 2002, p.7
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