Semiotics: Roland Barthes (Media Language) Flashcards
Semiotics - Definition
The language of codes and signs; it deals with the way in which media texts are encoded and the way in which audiences decode them.
What did Barthes argue?
That all texts communicate their meaning through a set of signs that need to be decoded by the audience
How do meanings come to be accepted in a society?
Through repetition over time the meanings appear natural
How is the way in which audiences interpret meanings influenced?
Other forces (e.g. Culture and Context) influence how the audience interprets meaning
What idea did Barthes introduce?
That signs can function at the level of denotation and connotation associated with it
Semiotics is the idea that…
Media producers encode meaning in their products, which audiences need to learn to decipher. However not all audiences will decode the meanings in the product the same way.
Theory in a nutshell
All elements of a media text are codes that need to be read. These can all be understood as the thing they are (denotative level) and the responses they create (connotative level)
