What is semiotic analysis? Sign, paradigms and syntagma, commutation test, myth. Outlines of classes: Media education and professionalization.

Media education and professionalization. Sign, paradigms and syntagma, commutation test, myth

Main concepts

Semiotic analysis – a theoretical perspective and research method involving the interpretation of signs and symbols. It involves decoding the messages contained in various forms of communication. So we study how these signs and symbols create meanings and how they are interpreted in a cultural context, and how they create social myths and can fit into analyzable structures.

What is semiotic analysis? Top content

A sign consists of two elements: a signifier element and a signified element. The signifier element (signifiant) is the form that the sign takes. It can be a sound, image, gesture, word or any other medium that conveys meaning. E.g., the word “tree.” The signified element (signifié) is the concept or meaning that we assign to the signifying element. In the case of the word “tree,” the signifying element is the idea or image of a tree that appears in our imagination when we hear or see the word. This is how we create social communication and meanings in culture.

Paradigms and syntagma, denotation and connotation

• Paradigms are sets of signs that can be used in a given context. In semiotics, it means a group of elements that share a common feature and can be exchanged at a given point in the linguistic structure, e.g. different forms of a verb that can be used in a sentence. A syntagma is a combination of signs that form a larger unit of meaning. In a linguistic context, a syntagma is a sequence of words that together form a sentence or phrase.
• Denotation refers to the literal, basic meaning of a sign. It is what the sign directly represents or signifies. For example, the denotation of the word “dog” is a pet in the canine family. Connotation, on the other hand, refers to the additional, cultural or emotional associations that a sign evokes. E.g., the connotation of the word “dog” may include such associations as loyalty, friendship, or safety.

Commutative test, myth

• Commutative test. A method of semiotic analysis that involves replacing one element of a sign with another to see how this change affects the meaning of the whole. It is a tool used to identify significant elements in the structure of signs and their relationships.
• Myth. In semiotics, a myth is a deeply rooted story or belief that shapes the way people perceive the world. Roland Barthes, one of the key theorists of semiotics, described myths as systems of meaning that naturalize and perpetuate certain ideologies and values in a culture.

Literature and discussion questions

• Drzewiecki P., Analiza semiotyczna w edukacji medialnej i filmowej, w: Teksty i preteksty. Edukacyjna przestrzeń obrazu, red. J. Pacuła, Bielsko-Biała 2016, s. 22-29.

1. How do we apply semiotics in the analysis of visual messages?
2. So how to conduct a commutation test of a magazine cover or poster?
3. What are social myths and what is their naturalization?