Give me a “sign”:
Give me a “sign” How should I “interpret” popular culture materials? A popular work (like Gray’s Anatomy or an ad ) “constitutes a kind of sign” or “text” A “sign” is “anything that carries a meaning” stop sign words a hair cut
What does the sign “mean”?:
What does the sign “mean”? Denotation: The surface, most obvious meaning of a sign: what it’s supposed to be about. Eg: In a car ad, the car itself, plus the people or objects shown in it. Connotation: What a sign suggests or implies under the surface In the car ad, the message that the car will give its driver sex appeal (or prestige or freedom, etc.)
“Semiotics”:
“Semiotics” A method of interpreting “texts” analyzes cultural significance analyzes political meanings of signs Seeks to uncover/explore hidden messages and concealed interests. Concerned with: culture politics commercialism
Cultural mythologies:
Cultural mythologies Value systems that shape people’s assumptions about what’s true, real, and/or natural--“a kind of lens that governs the way we view our world” (Maasik & Solomon 18). Systems vary from culture to culture and sometimes conflict. The dominant system presents its belief as natural, obvious, right.
Politics:
Politics “All social behavior is political in the sense that it reflects some personal or group interest. Such interests are encoded in what are called ideologies, or worldviews that express the values and opinions of those who hold them” (Maasik and Solomon 11). Politics are caused by friction between people who have different worldviews.
Elemental principles of semiotics::
Elemental principles of semiotics: “Question authority” “Everything is connected” (Maasik and Solomon 21)
The Classroom Connection:
The Classroom Connection Approaches: Historical survey Comparative associations Analytical distinctions Interpretive conclusions Examples from Signs of Life : History of VW Beetle Other types of cars Different types of cars/buyers Significance of nostalgic revivals