DOCSLIB.ORG

A Semiotic Multimodal Analysis and South African Case Study: the Representation and Construction of Masculinities in Men’S Health (Sa)

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
A Semiotic Multimodal Analysis and South African Case Study: the Representation and Construction of Masculinities in Men’S Health (Sa) A SEMIOTIC MULTIMODAL ANALYSIS AND SOUTH AFRICAN CASE STUDY: THE REPRESENTATION AND CONSTRUCTION OF MASCULINITIES IN MEN’S HEALTH (SA) by CHRISTIAAN PETRUS CILLIERS submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF LITERATURE AND PHILOSOPHY in the subject COMMUNICATION at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA SUPERVISOR: PROF A. C. ALLAIS CO-SUPERVISOR: PROF V. C. MILTON June 2014 DECLARATION Student number 611-658-2 I declare that A semiotic multimodal analysis and South African case study: The representation and construction of masculinities in Men’s Health (SA) is my own work and that all the sources that I have either used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged by means of comprehensive references. C. P. Cilliers Date: 30 April 2014 ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I gratefully acknowledge and thank the following people who assisted me in the completion of this study: • Prof Carol Allais and Prof Viola Milton – my study leaders – for their support, enthusiasm, guidance, critical comments, and insightful assistance during the completion of this thesis. • Mr David J Wigston for his support with designing the graphic model and critically reading and assisting with the concept maps; his invaluable help in finding relevant articles and books for my dissertation. • Dr Beschara Karam for her support, believing in me, long talks, critical readings, and constant encouragement. • Prof Pieter Fourie who contributed greatly to the expansion of my thinking around masculine identities and also for placing me on the road of developing the multimodal semiotic analysis model. • Dr Julie Reid for her constructive criticism of the initial multimodal model. • Mr Andrew Hills for his critical questions and tireless editing of this thesis. This study is dedicated to Ms Doreen Gough (retired from Public Relations and Corporate Communication, Unisa) for her compassion and inspiration as a mentor; to my sister Ohna van Zyl for all her love and support; to my partner, Maty Mbula; to my late aunt, Mrs Miemmie Kuhn (Muller, born Groenewald) for her dedication during my childhood. In conclusion, my warmest thanks are extended to friends and colleagues for their passionate encouragement and moral support during the research process. They are: Mr Lourens Claassen, Prof Charmaine du Plessis, Ms Annette du Toit (Lady Anne), Mr David Francis, Mr Kevin Galvin, Mr Mark Loutfie, Dr Janette Hanekom, Ms Sabihah Moola, Mr Theunis Prinsloo, Mr Connie Saayman, Ms Karin Taljaard, Prof Elize Terblanche, Ms Annelize Vermeulen, Mr Dirk Theunissen, Ms Soekie van Gass and Mr Akhona Zim. iii ABSTRACT The main question of this study was: How and in what way can a multimodal semiotic visual analysis model be developed and used for contributing to the analysis and understanding of the manner in which the Men’s Health (South Africa) magazine – as a case study – represents and constructs masculinities in South Africa? The following three subsidiary research questions were formulated to address this topic: • What is the literature revealing with reference to the media as producers of meaning in relation to masculinity and visual texts? • How and in which way can a semiotic visual analysis multimodal model be developed with the purpose of contributing to the analysis of visual texts? • What is the outcome of the visual analysis multimodal model with reference to the case study about the representation and construction of masculinities in visual texts in MH? The first aim of this research was to establish an overview of masculinities and to explore the visual representation of masculinity with reference to mediation, reality, and ideology in the media. With reference to the media as producers of meaning in relation to masculinity and visual texts, a semiotic visual analysis and social semiotics were used to unpack culture as a site of the production of meanings. The media is one of the main sources from which men receive their entertainment and information about the world. In this sense, the media makes sense of the world. Mass media plays a key role in discourse and constructing the relationships between reality and ideology. During this construction, the media reflects on existing opinions and attitudes in society. A quantitative content analysis and a qualitative semiotic multimodal visual analysis were conducted on 27 visual texts purposively selected from MH to include editions from July 2010 to June 2011. This population covered 12 front covers, 12 editorials and three flip covers. The developed visual multimodal model was tested qualitatively on nine visual texts since these texts included the front covers, flip covers and editorials of the three editions with flip covers. iv A second major aim of the study was to establish the way in which a semiotic visual analysis multimodal model needed to be developed and used for analysing visual texts, as well as for analysing the visual texts according to the multimodal model in order to understand how the multimodality and social semiotic resources were applied in MH to represent and construct masculinities. The rationale for the development and design of this model was based on the premise that a basic understanding of semiotics and visual language was needed. Without such an understanding, the vast amounts of visual messages that confront the reader would remain incomprehensible. Consequently, a productive dialogue in relation to visual communication cannot take place. The multimodal model developed in this thesis highlights visual text layout, in conjunction with language-in-use, that does not occur in isolation and that is deeply reliant on other forms of making meaning. The heptagon multimodal model consists of concept maps of the six functions of the designed hexagon model. This multimodality approach includes analysing simultaneously occurring semiotics and their various roles in conjunction with detailed, all- inclusive discourses. In the quantitative content analysis and the qualitative multimodal semiotic analysis, the six components of the developed heptagon model (visual grammar, positioning, typography, colour, modality, and iconography) are illustrated. The quantitative research supported the main research design, i.e. the qualitative multimodal semiotic analysis. It is envisaged that the development and construction of a multimodal semiotic model will make a contribution to the scholarly field of semiotic analysis. By discussing the fluidity of the variations of masculinities and male identities, by giving a brief overview of the role of the media in constructing masculinities, and by focusing on the discourses that took place in MH, the researcher creates an awareness of the inherited patriarchal masculinities by recommending envisioned masculinities to be inclusive as a component of the solution. This approach is illustrated by the use and findings of the multimodal semiotic visual analysis. v Key terms: masculinity; construction; representation; social semiotics; visual grammar; hexagon model; multimodal model; multimodal analysis; visual discourse; concept maps. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION ...................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................iii ABSTRACT............................................................................................................ iv CHAPTER 1 OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................ 1 1.1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................... 1 1.2 RELEVANCE OF THE INVESTIGATION................................................. 4 1.3 CONTRIBUTION OF THIS STUDY .......................................................... 9 1.4 RATIONALE FOR THIS STUDY ............................................................ 10 1.5 DEMARCATION AND DESCRIPTION OF THE TOPIC ........................ 11 1.5.1 The main research issue............................................................ 12 1.6 APPROACHING THE STUDY ................................................................ 12 1.6.1 Methodological approach ........................................................... 13 1.6.2 Theoretical approach ................................................................. 14 1.7 OUTLINE OF THE THESIS .................................................................... 16 1.8 CONCLUSION......................................................................................... 18 CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW PART I: SEMIOTICS ................................................... 19 2.1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................... 19 2.2 A BRIEF HISTORY OF SEMIOTICS ...................................................... 19 2.3 SEMIOTICS AS THEORY ...................................................................... 21 2.4 SOCIAL SEMIOTICS DEFINED ............................................................. 23 2.5 SEMIOTICS: CONTEXT, MAKING, AND INTERPRETING MEANING ................................................................................................ 26 2.5.1 Semiotics and context ................................................................ 26 2.5.2 Semiotics and making meaning ................................................. 27 2.4.3 Meaning as representation ........................................................ 28 2.6 SEMIOTICS: REPRESENTATION,
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Download/ Nwp File/2013/Notes on a Working Hypothesis.Pdf?X-R=Pcfile D
    Psychosemiotics: communication as psychological action Marko Mili Doctor of Philosophy (Psychology) University of Western Sydney November 2008 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my gratitude to my wife Juliana Payne for her patience, accessibility for debate on all issues, practical assistance, and help in avoiding clichés like the plague. My parents Petar and Nediljka Mili shared their enthusiasm for learning and balanced their encouragement with flexibility about the direction that their influence took. My sister, Angela Mili, provided moral and practical support. To my extended family—Ante, Maria, Mirko, Lina, Kristina, Anthony, and Nikolas Mili; and Steve and Veronica Harwood—thank you for your support for this project. Thanks to Megan McDonald for helpful grammatical-stylistic suggestions and to Domagoj Veli, who has been an enthusiastic supporter of this project from the beginning. Professor Philip Bell, Professor Theo van Leeuwen, Dr Scott Mann and Dr Phillip Staines provided me with valuable opportunities to assist in teaching their courses in mass media, semiotics, social theory and the philosophy of language. This experience has significantly enhanced the present work. My supervisor, Dr Agnes Petocz, consistently provided detailed and incisive feedback throughout the conception and execution of this work. Her vision of a richer science of psychology has been inspirational for me. As co-supervisor, Professor Philip Bell has been an exemplary mentor and model for post- disciplinary research. ii STATEMENT OF AUTHENTICATION The work presented in this thesis is, to the best of my knowledge and belief, original except as acknowledged in the text. I hereby declare that I have not submitted this material, either in whole or in part, for a degree at this or any other institution.
    [Show full text]
  • The Commutation Test and Chris Bacon's Score for Source Code As
    The Commutation Test and Chris Bacon’s Score for Source Code as a Framework for Film Music Pedagogy Aaron Ziegel, Towson University he cinema, whether experienced at the neighborhood multiplex or streamed at home, is arguably the medium through which today’s col- lege-age Americans are most likely to encounter newly composed sym- Tphonic music. Given the ubiquity of the film-viewing experience, students are often eager to learn the tools and methodologies that can equip them to criti- cally assess and more fully comprehend the function of music in movies. The filmSource Code (2011), directed by Duncan Jones and scored by Chris Bacon, provides a particularly effective starting point through which this process can begin.1 This article will discuss the pedagogical potential found in the film’s main titles and the impact of applying a commutation test to this sequence. Although here I address one specific example, the methodology of the commu- tation test is easily adaptable to other circumstances, as the theoretical foun- dation will make clear. While variations on the commutation test are a regular occurrence in many film music classrooms, this essay aims to present an intro- ductory primer that may be of use to instructors interested in an entry point for incorporating film music studies into their teaching. With that in mind, the appendix presents one suggestion for how to create film clips for classroom use. The value of this classroom activity extends beyond providing students with an engaging and memorable learning experience. By situating this analysis I wish to express my gratitude to the many students at Towson University whose feedback and enthusiastic classroom participation, along with suggestions from the anonymous reviewers, helped me to refine the pedagogical approach described in this essay.
    [Show full text]
  • CHRISTIAN METZ and the CODES of CINEMA Analysis and Later with Enunciation Theory
    EDITED BY MARGRIT TRÖHLER FILM THEORY FILM THEORY CHRISTIAN METZ IN MEDIA HISTORY IN MEDIA HISTORY AND GUIDO KIRSTEN AND THE CODES OF CINEMA FILM SEMIOLOGY AND BEYOND EDITED BY MARGRIT TRÖHLER AND GUIDO KIRSTEN A pioneering figure in film studies, Christian MARGRIT TRÖHLER is a professor in Metz proposed countless new concepts for the Department of Film Studies at the reflecting on cinema from the 1960s to the University of Zurich. 1980s. Rooted in a phenomenological struc­ GUIDO KIRSTEN is a postdoctoral re­ turalism, he worked out a film semiology searcher in the Department of Media which he then confronted with psycho­ Studies at Stockholm University. CINEMA OF CODES THE AND METZ CHRISTIAN analysis and later with enunciation theory. He also played a key role in establishing film studies as a scholarly discipline, making major contributions to its institutionaliza­ tion in universities worldwide. This book brings together a stellar roster of contribu­ tors to present a close analysis of Metz’s writings, their theoretical and epistemologi­ cal positions, and their ongoing influence today. ISBN 978-90-896-4892-1 AUP.nl 9 789089 648921 AUP_FtMh_KIRSTENe.a._(CMETZ)_rug28mm_v05.indd 1 18-01-18 12:16 Christian Metz and the Codes of Cinema Film Theory in Media History Film Theory in Media History explores the epistemological and theoretical foundations of the study of film through texts by classical authors as well as anthologies and monographs on key issues and developments in film theory. Adopting a historical perspective, but with a firm eye to the further development of the field, the series provides a platform for ground-breaking new research into film theory and media history and features high-profile editorial projects that offer resources for teaching and scholarship.
    [Show full text]
  • Charles Sanders Peirce - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia 9/2/10 4:55 PM
    Charles Sanders Peirce - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 9/2/10 4:55 PM Charles Sanders Peirce From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Charles Sanders Peirce (pronounced /ˈpɜrs/ purse[1]) Charles Sanders Peirce (September 10, 1839 – April 19, 1914) was an American philosopher, logician, mathematician, and scientist, born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Peirce was educated as a chemist and employed as a scientist for 30 years. It is largely his contributions to logic, mathematics, philosophy, and semiotics (and his founding of pragmatism) that are appreciated today. In 1934, the philosopher Paul Weiss called Peirce "the most original and versatile of American philosophers and America's greatest logician".[2] An innovator in many fields (including philosophy of science, epistemology, metaphysics, mathematics, statistics, research methodology, and the design of experiments in astronomy, geophysics, and psychology) Peirce considered himself a logician first and foremost. He made major contributions to logic, but logic for him encompassed much of that which is now called epistemology and philosophy of science. He saw logic as the Charles Sanders Peirce formal branch of semiotics, of which he is a founder. As early as 1886 he saw that logical operations could be carried out by Born September 10, 1839 electrical switching circuits, an idea used decades later to Cambridge, Massachusetts produce digital computers.[3] Died April 19, 1914 (aged 74) Milford, Pennsylvania Contents Nationality American 1 Life Fields Logic, Mathematics, 1.1 United States Coast Survey Statistics, Philosophy, 1.2 Johns Hopkins University Metrology, Chemistry 1.3 Poverty Religious Episcopal but 2 Reception 3 Works stance unconventional 4 Mathematics 4.1 Mathematics of logic C.
    [Show full text]
  • Laura Mulvey and Peter Wollen
    Laura Mulvey and Peter Wollen: Theory and Practice, Aesthetics and Politics, 1963-1983 Nicolas Helm-Grovas Royal Holloway, University of London PhD, Media Arts 1 Declaration of Authorship I, Nicolas Helm-Grovas, hereby declare that this thesis and the work presented in it is entirely my own. Where I have consulted the work of others, this is always clearly stated. 15 January, 2018 2 Abstract This PhD is a genealogy and critical examination of the writings and films of Laura Mulvey and Peter Wollen, spanning the period from the early 1960s to 1980s. Despite the prominence of their texts, there has not been a book-length study of either body of writing, nor an overview of their overlap and mutual influence, in what was their most productive period. Nor has there been an extended account of the important connection between their theory and their practice as filmmakers. My thesis undertakes these tasks. I interpret and challenge existing scholarship, while simultaneously examining in detail for the first time lesser-known works, drawing on archives and interviews. Through close readings I elucidate Mulvey’s interrogation of the patriarchal fantasies structuring cinematic and artistic forms and her feminist appropriation of classical Hollywood melodrama; I map the related issues Wollen’s texts activate, of cinematic signification and materialism, the buried potentialities of the historical avant-gardes, and their connection to the avant-garde film contemporaneous with his writings. Their moving image works, I demonstrate through detailed analyses, bring these ideas into dialogue and work them through in a more open, exploratory vein. I trace key notions like ‘counter cinema’ across films and writings by both authors.
    [Show full text]
  • Handbook-Of-Semiotics.Pdf
    Page i Handbook of Semiotics Page ii Advances in Semiotics THOMAS A. SEBEOK, GENERAL EDITOR Page iii Handbook of Semiotics Winfried Nöth Indiana University Press Bloomington and Indianapolis Page iv First Paperback Edition 1995 This English­language edition is the enlarged and completely revised version of a work by Winfried Nöth originally published as Handbuch der Semiotik in 1985 by J. B. Metzlersche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Stuttgart. ©1990 by Winfried Nöth All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. The Association of American University Presses' Resolution on Permissions constitutes the only exception to this prohibition. Manufactured in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging­in­Publication Data Nöth, Winfried. [Handbuch der Semiotik. English] Handbook of semiotics / Winfried Nöth. p. cm.—(Advances in semiotics) Enlarged translation of: Handbuch der Semiotik. Bibliography: p. Includes indexes. ISBN 0­253­34120­5 1. Semiotics—handbooks, manuals, etc. 2. Communication —Handbooks, manuals, etc. I. Title. II. Series. P99.N6513 1990 302.2—dc20 89­45199 ISBN 0­253­20959­5 (pbk.) CIP 4 5 6 00 99 98 Page v CONTENTS Preface ix Introduction 3 I. History and Classics of Modern Semiotics History of Semiotics 11 Peirce 39 Morris 48 Saussure 56 Hjelmslev 64 Jakobson 74 II. Sign and Meaning Sign 79 Meaning, Sense, and Reference 92 Semantics and Semiotics 103 Typology of Signs: Sign, Signal, Index 107 Symbol 115 Icon and Iconicity 121 Metaphor 128 Information 134 Page vi III.
    [Show full text]
  • UNIVERZITA KARLOVA V PRAZE Semiotics and Fashion Studies
    UNIVERZITA KARLOVA V PRAZE FAKULTA HUMANITNÍCH STUDIÍ Katedra elektronicke kultury a semiotiky Mgr. Daria Mikerina Semiotics and Fashion Studies: Limits and possibilities of a systemic approach to contemporary fashion Diplomová práce Vedoucí práce: doc. Mgr. Benedetta Zaccarello, Ph.D. et Ph.D. Praha 2016 Prohlášení Prohlašuji, že jsem práci vypracoval/a samostatně. Všechny použite prameny a literatura byly řádně citovány. Práce nebyla využita k získání jineho nebo stejneho titulu. V Praze dne 08. 1. 2016 Mgr. Daria Mikerina …............................................ Acknowledgement I would like to thank my supervisor, doc. Mgr. Benedetta Zaccarello, Ph.D. et Ph.D. for guidance, encouragement, advice and support. I would also like to thank my friend J. Christian Odehnal for proofreading the thesis and continued support. Table of Contents Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1: The concept of system in semiotics. Fashion as an open and dynamic system ….................................................................. 7 Linguistic system according to Saussure ● The role of the system in structuralism ● Cultural systems ● The place of language in non-linguistic systems ● Typology of systems in semiotics ● Systems and codes ● Fashion as open and dynamic system ● The critique of structure and system Chapter 2: How fashion is produced. The phenomenon of named signifieds in Barthes' Fashion System …....................... 15 Part I. Finding a new methodology. “Fashion is nothing except what it is said to be” ….......................................................... 15 Sociology of fashion and semiology of fashion ● Dress and dressing. Fashion as “a langue without parole” ● Clothing and fashion ● Is dress an index? ● Semiology and its relation to other ways of analysis of fashion ●“To accept a simplification in all its openness” ● To describe fashion as a system we need to modify it ● Research object ● The necessity of “translation” Part II.
    [Show full text]
  • Race and World Memory in Arrival to Articulate What Is Past Does Not
    Accepted for publication in Science Fiction Film and Television, published by Liverpool University Press (2020), 13, (2), 247–267 : https://doi.org/10.3828/sfftv.2020.13 Race and World Memory in Arrival To articulate what is past does not mean to recognize “how it really was.” It means to take control of a memory, as it flashes in a moment of danger. Walter Benjamin Introduction Arrival (Villneuve USA/Canada 2016) has attracted persistent academic attention since its 2016 release, with the ‘cerebral sf’ (Canavan 491) most recently earning a 2018 section of the Film-Philosophy journal thanks to its sophisticated treatment of motherhood, time and temporality (Carruthers; Fleming and Brown). On this outing I wish to background the metaphysical, however, and instead enact a provocation by focusing on so-far neglected geopolitical issues linked to race and ‘world memories’ (Deleuze 2005b 113) operating within, and around, the film. Motivated by Arrival’s own articulation of past colonial histories and memories with sf images of fixed futurity, I first undertake an Afrofuturism-inspired investigation into the expressive form and content of a deeply felt scene that appears to erect a Manichean Black/White racial ‘montage of history’ (Benjamin 2005);i before being provoked by the wider narrative and its production context to zoom out and expand the range of ethnic considerations to include black people of non-African descent, and a range of other ethnicities and geopolitical actors (actually or virtually evoked by the narrative) including the
    [Show full text]
  • Commutation Test in Action: Establishing the English Consonantal Phonematic System*
    Moenia 25 (2019): 345-438. ISSN: 2340-003X. Commutation test in action: Establishing the English consonantal phonematic system* Tsutomu AKAMATSU Leeds ABSTRACT: In functional phonology, the commutation test is the only theoretically justifiable analytic procedure that enables us to elicit, identify and establish the phonemes and the archiphonemes of a given language. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how, in my view, we can perform the commutation test in order to establish the consonant phonemes and archiphonemes of British English known as RP (Received Pronunciation). To conduct the commutation test, I will proceed with the anal- ysis step by step in order to arrive at the complete system of consonant phonemes and archiphonemes of English. I provide tables of the phonological contents of all the phonemes and archiphonemes estab- lished as well as diagrams of the phonematic units so as to show the relationships into which the pho- nematic units mutually enter. KEYWORDS: commutation test, commutative series, opposition, series, order, correlation, mark, pre- phoneme, (minimum or near-minimum) multiplet, phonematic unit, phoneme, archiphoneme, relevant feature, hiss, hush, fricative, spirant, phonological content, exclusive opposition, neutralizable opposi- tion, neutralization. PART I 1. PRELIMINARY REMARKS 1.1. The purpose of the present paper is to show in detail how, in my opinion, the com- mutation test may be performed in functional phonology, with a view to establishing the Brit- ish English consonantal phonematic system.1 The term ‘phonematic’ is associated with an- other term ‘phonematics’ which designates one of the areas of functional phonology, the other area being designated as ‘prosody’.
    [Show full text]
  • Notes on Semiotics: Introduction
    Notes on Semiotics: Introduction Review of Structuralism and Poststructuralism 1. Meaning and Communication: Some Fundamental Questions a. Is meaning a private experience between individuals? b. Is it determined by the psychological state or intention of the speaker? c. How is meaning communicated? d. What are the limits of our common sense understanding of language? 2. Saussure: Language is a shared system of communication. 3. Saussure's Basic Concepts a. synchronic b. diachronic c. langue d. parole 4. Problem of Denotation a. What do words denote? To what do they refer? b. Objects in the real world? When you consider general nouns ("tree", "hat", "virtue", etc.) and verbs ("ask", "linger", "wait") it becomes clear that a simple word-to-object relation breaks down. (Problem of Reference) 5. This provides one reason for Saussure to bracket the object ("referent") and limit his analysis to the relation between word and concept. 6. Saussure introduced a new terminology: SIGN = SIGNIFIER (SOUND-IMAGE) + SIGNIFIED (CONCEPT) CONCEPT SOUND IMAGE Page 1 of 8 7. What's the nature of the signified (concept)? What is it and how is it distinct from the signifier? PRE-STRUCTURALIST LINGUISTIC MODEL denotes P-E-A-R (word) (object) STRUCTURALIST MODEL SIGNIFIER SIGNIFIED signifies P-E-A-R (word) (concept) 8. Given that the concept of a thing varies, perhaps considerably, from person to person, Saussure had yet another reason for bracketing the real (external) world. This reduces the complexity and makes it easier to develop a workable theoretical model. Page 2 of 8 9. The "Arbitrariness" of the Sign—Conventionalism a.
    [Show full text]
  • The Public Journal of Semiotics
    The Public Journal of Semiotics Volume IV October 2012 No. 1 CONTENTS Cognitive Semiotics: An emerging field for the transdisciplinary study of meaning Jordan Zlatev................................................................................. 2 – 24 Applying structuralist semiotics to brand image research George Rossolatos......................................................................... 25 - 82 The Efficacy Of The Virtual: From Che As Sign To Che As Agent Carolina Cambre........................................................................... 83 – 107 If We Are Too Small to See or You Have Forgotten: A postcolonial response to modern representations of the San in Alexander McCall Smith’s No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series Roie Thomas…………..................................................................... 108 – 122 ISSN 1918-9907 Editorial Staff Paul Bouissac, Editor in Chief Tom Wysocki, Associate Editor International Editorial Board Gary Genosko (Ontario Institute of Technology, Toronto, Canada) David Machin (Cardiff University, UK) Franson Manjali (Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India) Paul Manning (Trent University, Canada) Jef Verschueren (Antwerp University, Belgium) Anne Wagner (Universite Cote d' Opale, France) Jordan Zlatev (Lund University, Sweden) Rob Shields (University of Alberta, Canada) 2 Cognitive Semiotics: An emerging field for the transdisciplinary study of meaning Cognitive Semiotics: An emerging field for the transdisciplinary study of meaning Jordan Zlatev1, Centre for Languages and Literature
    [Show full text]
  • Ferdinand De Saussure
    Introduction to Theoretical and Applied Linguistics Ferdinand de Saussure /1857-1913/ Introduction to Theoretical and Applied Linguistics FERDINAND DE SAUSSURE /1857-1913/ PERSONALIA PAGE FERDINAND DE SAUSSURE • Ferdinand de Saussure (/soʊˈsjʊər/; French: [fɛʁdinɑ̃ də sosyʁ]; 26 November 1857 – 22 February 1913) was a Swiss linguist and semiotician. His ideas laid a foundation for many significant developments in both linguistics and semiology in the 20th century. • He is widely considered one of the founders of 20th- century linguistics and one of two major founders (together with Charles Sanders Peirce (/pɜːrs/ "purse"; 10 September 1839 – 19 April 1914) ) of semiotics/ semiology. SAUSSURE'S SYSTEM OF SCIENCES General Psychology Social Psychology Semiology Linguistics External Internal Synchronic Diachronic SEMIOLOGY • Beginning with the Greek word sēméion meaning "sign", Saussure proposes a new science of "Semiology": "a science that studies the life of signs within society" SYNTAGMATIC AND PARADIGMATIC RELATIONS • Syntagmatic means one element selects the other element either to precede it or to follow it. For example, the definitive article "the" selects a noun and not a verb. “ SAUSSUREAN TRICHOTOMY [trɪ'kɔtəmɪ] OF LANGUAGE • Le Langage is most easily understood and indeed explained as a rule-abiding game. It is a universal system which has an underlying, fundamental, structure so that linguistic communication can work. • La langue is the actual language spoken, for instance; French, German or English. The language of the speaker. • La parole is the individual speech act. Romantic and humanistic readings influence one’s parole. READ MORE ON THIS TOPIC LINK SYNTAGMATIC AND PARADIGMATIC RELATIONS • Paradigmatic analysis is the analysis of paradigms embedded in the text rather than of the surface structure (syntax) of the text which is termed syntagmatic analysis.
    [Show full text]