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Media Studies (year 1) > Media Language Glossary and Theorists > Flashcards

Media Language Glossary and Theorists Flashcards

Semiotics, Narratology, Genre, Structuralism, Postmodernism

1
Q

Semiotics

What are semiotics generally?

A

The study of signs- how signs communicate meaning in our culture

both theory and analysis

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2
Q

Semiotics

What is a sign?

A

a word/ image used to convey an idea

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3
Q

Semiotics

What is a signifier?

A

A word/ sign

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4
Q

Semiotics

What is a signified?

A

The idea represented by the signifier

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5
Q

Semiotics

What is an icon?

A

A sign that resembles what it really is

e.g. a fire exit sign is an icon for a fire exit

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6
Q

Semiotics

What is an index?

A

A sign that works by a relationship to an object

e.g. smoke is a result of a fire

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7
Q

Semiotics

What is a code?

A

systems of signs used to create meaning

e.g. Barthes’ codes

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8
Q

Semiotics

What is a symbol?

A

A sign/ image representing ideas through metaphors/ association

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9
Q

Semiotics

What is anchorage?

A

Linguistic text elements (e.g. caption) constrain ‘preferred reading’ of an image

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10
Q

Semiotics

What is an ideology?

A

A set of determined values and beliefs

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11
Q

Semiotics

What is a paradigm?

A

A set of signifiers/ signifieds (e.g. bread, crisps or types of food)

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12
Q

Semiotics

What is a syntagm?

A

Related to structures that create meaning

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13
Q

Barthes

What is Barthes’ general view?

A

Takes a semiotic approach to the study of narratives
* Suggests there are 5 codes that media producers follow to create menaing for audience interpretation

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14
Q

Barthes

What does signification mean?

A

What a sign shows

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15
Q

Barthes

What does denotation mean?

A

Dictionary/ literal word definition

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16
Q

Barthes

What does connotation mean?

A

What is implied/ suggested

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17
Q

Barthes

What is a myth?

A

Socially/ historically determined idea which has become accepted truth

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18
Q

Narratology

What are the 5 narrative codes?

A

Barthes’ 5 codes:
* Hermeneutic/ enigma- anything that isn’t fully explained on purpose
* Action- action leading to narrative progression
* Referential code- textual refs can be understood with a good knowledge of news, events etc
* Semantic- something that connotes more than just a surface level meaning
* Symbolic- non literal meanings that use binary opposites to demonstrate meaning

19
Q

Narratology

What is narration?

A

Way in which events are put together in media texts

20
Q

Narratology

What is diegesis?

A

Communication of story from inside world presented

21
Q

Narratology

What is quest narrative?

A

Grand narrative design involving a hero undertaking a journey

22
Q

Narratology

What is meant by causality?

A

Cause-and-effect relationship between events

23
Q

Narratology

What is the plot?

A

Main events of a storyline

24
Q

Narratology

What is the masterplot?

A

Collection of broad story types told in different contexts across genres

25
Q

What are Todorov’s general ideas?

A
  • Narratives aren’t the same as a story as they contain causality, time and space
  • Narratives conbey ideology
  • Development of online media challanges narratology- audiences have control over it
26
Q

Todorov

What is equilibrium?

A

State in which opposing forces/ influences are balanced

27
Q

Todorov

What is a new equilibrium?

A

Conflict is resolved and story reaches a new state of balance from before

28
Q

Genre Theory- Neale

What is Neale’s general idea?

A
  • Genre offers comfort and familiarity
  • Genre invites shared understandings between producer and audience
  • Genre is relied on within instituations therefore it is important
29
Q

Genre theory- Neale

What are conventions and rules?

A

Widely recognised way of producing media products

30
Q

Genre theory- Neale

What is a sub-genre?

A

Sub-category within one parent genre (niche)

31
Q

Genre theory- Neale

What is genre hybridity?

A

Combination of different genres and styles

32
Q

Genre theory- Neale

What are genres as a cultural category?

A

Approach which situates genre within wider cultural hierarchies

33
Q

Structralism- Levi Strauss

What are binary oppositions?

A

Conclict created by two opposing ideas- drives narratives forward

34
Q

Structuralism- Levi Strauss

What is mytheme?

A

Involves relationship between character, an event, and theme- creates theme from which myths are constructed

35
Q

Structuralism- Levi Strauss

What is an ideological reading?

A

An interpretation based off values and beliefs you have

36
Q

Structuralism- Levi Strauss

What is deconstruction?

A

The act of analysing the structures used to construct a media product

37
Q

Postmodernism

What is pastiche?

A

The act of imitating the style or content of other media products

38
Q

Postmodernism

What does bricolage mean?

A

When signs or artefacts are borrowed from different styles or genres to create something new

39
Q

Postmodernism

What is intertextuality?

A

Shaping of a text’s meaning by another text

Text within a text in terms of meaning

40
Q

Postmodernism

What is implosion?

A

the collapse of meaning due to the sheer increase of signs and the way they often refer to one another to create meaning

41
Q

What are Baudrillard’s ideas on postmodernism?

A
  • Simulacrum acts like Chinese Whispers- results in simulation
  • Society is becoming an urbanised culture of consumption
  • The barrier between the real world and media world is crumbling
42
Q

Postmodernism- Baudrillard

What is simulacrum?

A

Sign that imitates something original, lacks quality and becomes disconnected from the original over time

43
Q

Postmodernism- Baudrillard

What is simulation?

A

The space we exist in is a combination of physical real world and constructed technological world of media- we can’t differentiate representation from reality

44
Q

Postmodernism- Baudrillard

What is meant by hyperreality?

A

Breakdown between real world and simulated reality- the two become indistinguishable (fake becomes real)

Media Studies (year 1) (4 decks)

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