To see the other types of publications on this topic, follow the link: Semiotic analysis.
Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Semiotic analysis'
Create a spot-on reference in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and other styles
Consult the top 50 dissertations / theses for your research on the topic 'Semiotic analysis.'
Next to every source in the list of references, there is an 'Add to bibliography' button. Press on it, and we will generate automatically the bibliographic reference to the chosen work in the citation style you need: APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago, Vancouver, etc.
You can also download the full text of the academic publication as pdf and read online its abstract whenever available in the metadata.
Browse dissertations / theses on a wide variety of disciplines and organise your bibliography correctly.
1
Pålsson, Elisa, and Ola Fridèn. "Semiotic analysis of arts in highschool." Thesis, Malmö högskola, Lärarutbildningen (LUT), 2013. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-36117.
Full textAbstract:
Inför detta examensarbete hade båda författarna enligt dem själva mött relativt lite bildteori i skolan. Eftersom teorin har varit så pass central på högskolan väcktes ett intresse för frågan: Hur arbetar bildlärare på fältet med teoretiska begrepp och bildanalys.Begreppet vi har valt att arbeta är semiotik och hur bildlärare arbetar med detta. Vi har varit ute på fem högstadieskolor och intervjuat fem bildämneslärare. Vi har valt att göra detta med semistrukturerade intervjuer. För att få insikt och kunna behandla våra frågeställningar har vi använt oss av litteratur som berör ämnet semiotik och semiotik i bildundervisning. Resultatet vi fick var blandat men gick i stora drag ut på att semiotiken inte prioriteras då det inte finns tid för det. Tre av våra informanter använde semiotiken vagt i deras undervisning, de två andra prioriterade inte nyttjandet av begreppen.
2
Marthinus, Leilani. "Semiotic remediation and resemiotisation as discourse practice in Isidingo: a multi-semiotic analysis." University of the Western Cape, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/4658.
Full textAbstract:
Magister Artium - MAThe problem explored relates to the dearth in studies exploring semiotic resources other than language in the study of mediated discourses in the media; public broadcasting in particular. Gilje (2010) laments that although manipulation of different genres and modalities has accelerated in the production of movies, documentaries and soapies due to developments in media technologies, there have been very few studies on the subject. The purpose of this study was to investigate how the Isidingo producers use new technologies and editing tools to merge and/or manipulate different semiotic material in the production of Isidingo. I investigated how different stories and narratives are infused into the storylines and how the producers are re-figuring socio-cultural-histories as semiotic resources in the production of Isidingo. This involved a determination of how storylines and other semiotic resources are transformed in Isidingo for aesthetic and communicative effect. The idea was to explore the socio-historical trajectory as semiotic material in time and space. In addition, I explored how the producers draw on and manipulate different genres (e.g. politics, advertisements, legal drama) which are often infused in the storylines in the production of the soap opera. The focus here was on the blurring of generic boundaries as Isidingo producers’ use of multiple genres within the soap opera for aesthetic and communicative effect. I also explored how local and international topical issues are re-contextualised, intertextualised and resemiotised in the local Isidingo storylines. The idea was to do a multi-semiotic analysis of Isidingo as a soap opera, focusing on the reproduction of semiotic material. This entailed an ethnographic approach to data collection and analysis, which included nine randomly selected aired episodes of the soap opera. I found that this soap opera heavily depends on societal discourses such as sociocultural- histories, language-in-use and popular culture as its resource for composing believable plotlines. These everyday discourses are strategically used by the producers to recreate reality into the fictional world by demonstrating semiotic remediation and resemiotisation as discourse practices. I conclude that the producers recycle issues from the real world and recontextualise them into the fictional world in order to evoke viewer involvement (transparent immediacy) and to infuse multiple media (hypermediacy) for extended meanings. In addition to this, technology such as gadgetry, social networks and software are reconstructed in order to subliminally advertise these products to the viewers. I also conclude that the producers of Isidingo treat language in the soap opera as social practice. This makes it possible for the producers to create characters with multiple identities to depict different social roles and voices. By bringing in real life aspects, the soap opera serves as both fiction and reality.
3
Hobyane, Risimati Synod. "A Greimassian semiotic analysis of Judith / Hobyane R.S." Thesis, North-West University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10394/8197.
Full textAbstract:
The goal of the study is to investigate the possible purpose of the Judith narrative by using the Greimassian semiotic approach. The hypothesis of the study is that the Greimassian semiotic approach is insightful and useful in revealing the possible purpose of Judith. This can be achieved through studying the contrasting core values in the narrative following from the method chosen.
The investigation of Judith involves three levels of analyses as guided by the Greimassian semiotic approach, i.e. the Figurative, the Narrative and the Thematic analysis.
The thesis comprises five chapters, viz. Chapter 1 is the introduction to the study; Chapter 2 presents the Figurative analysis; Chapter 3 portrays the Narrative analysis; Chapter 4 represents the Thematic analysis; and finally Chapter 5 constitutes the summary of the research and concluding remarks. Chapter 5 further asserts the contribution of this research to the literary study of Judith and offers recommendations for further research.
The outline of the investigation, as dictated by the Greimassian semiotic approach, is as follows:
The Figurative analysis entails investigating the figurative oppositions, motifs and the emplotment of the Judith narrative. The Narrative analysis involves investigating the structure of the narrative, the actantial configuration and the canonical narrative schema. The third and last step of analysis, Thematic analysis, concerns using the semiotic square and the veridictory square to investigate the fundamental values that generated the story of Judith. The core values are distinguished in terms of ‘good’ versus ‘evil’ and ‘truth’ versus ‘falsehood’. The Thematic analysis, the study of the contrasting values in particular, further involves exploring the trajectory of these values from the beginning of the narrative to the end.
The study concludes, first, that the use of the Greimassian semiotic approach does reveal the possible purpose of Judith. The findings resulting from the three steps of analysis reveal that the central concern of Judith is the survival of the Jewish religion. According to Cohen (2006:50) the Second Temple period was a time marked by the intense interaction between Judaism and its ambient culture, producing in some quarters a hatred of Judaism but in others an attraction to it (resulting in converts and “God fearers”).
vii
Against this kind of challenges in the Second Temple period, the analysis concludes that the possible purpose of Judith was to rejuvenate the Jewish religion during this time of crisis. The story raises the awareness of the Jewish people to defend their religion, and the values associated with it, from any form of assault and possible extinction.Thesis (PhD (Greek))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.
4
Nesbit, Marissa Beth. "Dance Curriculum Through Lived Experience: A Semiotic Analysis." The Ohio State University, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1373892460.
Full text
5
Norwood, Jennifer Lynn. "A semiotic analysis of biotechnology and food safety photographs." Texas A&M University, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/3353.
Full textAbstract:
This study evaluated photographs used in Time, Newsweek, and U.S. News and
World Report in stories about biotechnology and food safety issues from the years 2000
and 2001. This study implemented a semiotic methodology to determine if the messages
conveyed by the photographs positively or negatively communicated agricultural issues.
This research found that the news magazines had a balanced number of positive and
negative photographs. Data indicated that many of the photographs involved similar
subjects and, therefore, could be promoting stereotypes. This research also examined the
technical methods used by photographers and found that the majority of the photographs
were taken with very similar camera settings. This study also found that magazines use a
large number of staged shots as opposed to a more documentary style. This staging
indicates that photographers have control in the messages communicated to the viewer of
the photograph.
6
Bailey, S. N. "A semiotic analysis of texts relevant to childhood bereavement." Thesis, University of Salford, 2013. http://usir.salford.ac.uk/29415/.
Full textAbstract:
Studies of childhood bereavement suggest that communication is a crucial issue for adults and for children (Silverman and Worden, 1993). Closed communication seems to be a ‘natural’ adult response and this seems to be shared by some professionals. This study was designed to explore aspects of communication between adults and children experiencing loss or impending loss. The study consisted of five investigations: 1) An analysis of narratives obtained in interviews with 4 adults bereaved in childhood; 2) An exploration of 8 narratives illustrating the theme of children’s grief in literature; 3) An exploration of communication strategies used by 6 counsellors working with bereaved children; 4) An exploration of 6 counsellors’ communication strategies obtained by interviews with counsellors and volunteers and 5)An evaluation of a support programme using qualitative data from brief interviews with 24 participating children, attending 2 distinct, age appropriate, groups. A semiotic analysis of texts culled from the investigations was carried out. In Investigations 1 and 2, it was established that silence functioned as a sign whilst, unsurprisingly, the investigations in which counsellors’ communication was analysed (3 and 4) showed that empathy and dialogue were central. The specific question addressed in the first investigation was whether closed communication had operated in the lives of bereaved children who are now adults and, in the second, whether this is found across generations and cultures. The findings in both cases gave an affirmative answer. The evaluation of group support for 24 children suggested that the programme had been helpful in resolving shorter term effects of loss and lends some support to the notion of ‘Continuing Bonds’. The research question formulated for the study was: What psychological tools, including signs, operate in adult-child communication in this context. The main finding was that both open and closed styles of communication are employed.
7
Cowin, Erica. "The evolution of U.S. corporate logos a semiotic analysis." Master's thesis, University of Central Florida, 2011. http://digital.library.ucf.edu/cdm/ref/collection/ETD/id/4875.
Full textAbstract:
The purpose of this study is to examine the evolution of six U.S. corporate logos--Apple, McDonald's, Nike, Pepsi, Shell, and Starbucks--from each logo's inception until the newest version of the graphic emblem today. The objective is to determine the meanings that logos have for a corporation's identity, mission, and relationships, as well as the messages that logos convey to viewers (i.e., mostly customers). By "evolution" of logos here, the researcher means "ongoing transformation" of logos. The semiotic model used in this analysis is Charles Sanders Peirce's (1958(1931)) semiotic framework. Peircean semiotics is made up of a three-part paradigm of signification: the representamen (or the sign itself), the object (or "referent"--what the sign refers to), and the interpretant (the effect on the viewer, or the viewer's interpretation). Based on the semiotic data on logo evolution, the researcher found six main themes that emerged across the analyses of U.S. corporate logos. These themes are (1) Direction toward the Future, (2) Identity with Viewers, (3) Instant Recognition and Distinctiveness, (4) Consistency throughout Evolution, (5) Invocation of Change, and (6) True Representation of Corporate Identity. The ultimate conclusion of this analysis is that the communicative intent of a company, through its logo, tends to take a long time to develop. A successful logo is one that portrays the true objectives and principles of a company. For this reason, the ideal identity of a corporation tends to be built over a long period of time, which makes logo improvement "evolutionary" in nature. In all six cases, communication plays a major part in logo improvement.ID: 029808873; System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader.; Mode of access: World Wide Web.; Thesis (M.A.)--University of Central Florida, 2011.; Includes bibliographical references (p. 87-101).
M.A.
Masters
Communication
Sciences
8
Main, Michael G. "How am I not myself? a semiotic analysis of images." Honors in the Major Thesis, University of Central Florida, 2011. http://digital.library.ucf.edu/cdm/ref/collection/ETH/id/465.
Full textAbstract:
There has been much debate in the history of philosophy aimed at determining what it is, exactly, that makes a person who and what she is. Varying theories have offered a wide range of concepts in pursuit of the answer to this question. Some thinkers, such as B.F. Skinner, have claimed that it is observable behavior patterns that determine who and what a person is. Yet other thinkers, such as Carl Jung, have attributed unconscious motivators as being determinative in deciphering who and what a person is. Jung claims that it is the conscious and unconscious working together that determines who and what a person is. The purpose of this thesis is to discover evidence that supports or disproves the theory of self in which the unconscious and conscious work together to determine who and/or what a person is. This is done by semiotically analyzing the Visual Products (VP) of Visual Product Producers (VPP) who were or are afflicted with Bipolar Disorder. This thesis consists of the semiotic analysis of selected works by Jackson Pollock, Virginia Woolf, Vincent Van Gogh, and myself (Michael Main). Semiotic analysis studies how meanings are generated as opposed to what meanings are generated. It should be noted that semiotics was used strictly as a method of analysis and not as a guiding philosophy. In examining how the works of the selected VPPs generate meaning, it is hoped that evidence is produced that proves or disproves the theory of who or what a person is as determined by the interaction of the conscious and unconscious.B.A.
Bachelors
Arts and Humanities
Humanities
9
Fatemi, S. (Sepehr). "Kindness of strangers:a semiotic analysis of Aki Kaurismäki’s Le Havre." Master's thesis, University of Oulu, 2017. http://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:oulu-201706022437.
Full textAbstract:
The narrative of Le Havre (2011) by Aki Kaurismäki can defamiliarize our understanding of illegal immigration in Europe. While much of the refugee debate in the media makes reference to statistics and politicians’ comments, Le Havre shows a man named Marcel when he tries to assist an underage asylum seeker, running through Europe, in reuniting with his mother in England. The impact of the film on the viewer can be considered to be in sympathy with Marcel’s cause.
This research was an attempt to closely analyse this film by using social semiotics. Social semiotics would enable the viewer to talk back and question the ways in which social reality is represented, rather than only be overwhelmed by what it is. The research questions were designed in order to decide if cinema has been exploited to favour one ideology or whether the mechanisms involved in the presentation of the narrative in Le Havre have avoided political propaganda and remained faithful to realism. The study involved an initial discussion of key concepts in film studies, including those of realism, auteur, mise en scene, etc. Later, the film was objectively looked at and means of representation of filmic narrative was systematically analysed. The focus of the study was on filmic techniques and their impact on the audience’s meaning making processes. In this way, the film was initially divided into its 89 scenes. Then each scene was firstly discussed with regards to what it represents. Then, of all the scenes, those which contain an element that may attract a semiotician were detected, and the ways in which that content is shown to the audience were discussed. In arguing the potential impact of a cinematic tool on the viewer, relevant literature on visual and cinematic methods were used as reference.
A careful analysis of scenes with an orientation element in them revealed that the director has been relatively faithful to realist approaches to film making. Little use of techniques was found in the film that cross the borders of simplicity in the representation of the narrative. In conclusion, Le Havre, overall, is a film that gives the viewer the choice to depend less on filmic tools but more on his/her own reading in the meaning-making of the artefact.
10
Jensel, Leanne C. L. "A semiotic analysis of user manuals for two blender brands." University of the Western Cape, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/4842.
Full textAbstract:
Magister Artium - MATechnical documentation comes in a variety of forms such as installation or operation manuals, quick reference guides, maintenance manuals, user manuals, policy and procedure manuals or marketing brochures and flyers (Walsh, 2012). What all these sub-genres have in common is that the texts that correspond to them seek to inform and give instruction about procedures, behaviour and actions related to products (Schäffner & Wiesemann, 2001: 49). Manuals have been described as “the complete reference source for a product’s operation, maintenance and safety” (Cowley & Wogalter, 2011: 1773). For the purpose of this study, we will focus on one form of technical documentation, namely user manuals. The terms “documentation” and “manuals” will be used interchangeably. Although there are probably as many manuals as there are products in our homes, these user manuals have not frequently been the subject of academic study in the South African context. The relative lack of research into user manuals is especially regrettable at a time when new product liability legislation and trade regulations (e.g. the Consumer Protect Act of South Africa, 2008) have enhanced the profile of product manuals in public and regulatory discourse. As a result of this relative neglect, it is not known how understandable, relevant and therefore empowering users of products find these manuals. There is also not much knowledge concerning the level of compliance in manuals to the provisions of product liability legislation. This study therefore proposes to investigate the comprehensibility and usability of user manuals associated with two products (blenders) marketed in South Africa. It will draw on theories and methods of analysis associated with technical writing, analysis of terminological consistency, genre and multimodality, to evaluate the selected manuals from the standpoint of a subset of the criteria listed in Section 22(2) of the Consumer Protection Act of South Africa, No. 68 of 2008, which was later amended in 2011. The methodology for the proposed study will combine text analysis (by the researcher) with comprehension and usability tasks performed by selected participants. Data from these sources will be collated and analysed to determine the conformity of the manuals to criteria in the Consumer Protection Act of South Africa, and the effect the manuals have on product users. Areas for optimising (improving) the manuals will also be identified.
11
Hobson, Jane Claire. "Texted love : a social-semiotic examination of greeting cards /." View thesis View thesis View thesis, 2002. http://library.uws.edu.au/adt-NUWS/public/adt-NUWS20030407.164658/index.html.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Western Sydney, 2002.Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, School of Communication, Design and Media, University of Western Sydney, February, 2002. Bibliography : leaves [306]-324.
12
Chang, Han. "Semiotic analysis of Hillary Clitnon's [sic] photographic image in Newsweek magazine." [Gainesville, Fla.] : University of Florida, 2008. http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/UFE0022714.
Full text
13
SANTANA, VIVIANE DE AZEVEDO. "E SE COLOCAR PIMENTA: SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS OF CHILLI BEANS BRAND IDENTITY." PONTIFÍCIA UNIVERSIDADE CATÓLICA DO RIO DE JANEIRO, 2012. http://www.maxwell.vrac.puc-rio.br/Busca_etds.php?strSecao=resultado&nrSeq=19887@1.
Full textAbstract:
Esta dissertação apresenta o estudo de caso de uma marca brasileira de
acessórios de moda, a Chilli Beans. A análise utiliza o modelo
Projeto/Manifestação de identidade de marca proposto por Andrea Semprini
(2010), baseado no ferramental teórico-metodológico da semiótica discursiva de
linha francesa, ainda pouco explorado na pesquisa de mercado no Brasil.
Concebido para o contexto pós-moderno, o modelo compara a proposta de
identidade enunciada pelos gestores da marca com a identidade de marca
percebida pelo público a partir das manifestações desta, intencionando verificar a
compatibilidade entre ambas. O objetivo deste trabalho é, portanto, explicitar as
aproximações e afastamentos entre o projeto de marca proposto pelos gestores da
Chilli Beans e as interpretações das manifestações da marca pelos consumidores.
A metodologia aplicada consiste em pesquisa qualitativa envolvendo entrevistas
com os gestores da marca e com o público atingido por ela. Esse material é, então,
analisado conforme a proposta de Semprini (2010). Os resultados da pesquisa
indicam que há correspondência entre o que a marca se propõe a ser e a forma
como o público a entende. Entretanto, algumas manifestações específicas da
marca atenuam essa relação. A identificação dessas fragilidades permite aos
gestores da marca a adaptação de sua proposição de sentido ou da maneira como
apresentam suas manifestações em prol do estabelecimento de uma marca mais
consistente.This paper presents the case of a Brazilian fashion accessories brand, Chilli Beans. The analysis assumed the Project/ Manifestation model of brand identity, proposed by Andrea Semprini (2010), which is based on the theoretical and methodological tools of the French approach to discursive-semiotics, that are not very explored in Brazilian market research yet. Designed for the postmodern context, the model compares the proposal of brand identity - set out by its managers - with the brand identity as it is observed by the public through the manifestation of the brand, and what is intended is to check the compatibility between them. The goal of this study is, therefore, explicit approaches and departures between the project proposed by brand managers and the public’s interpretations of brand manifestations. The methodology consists of qualitative research involving interviews with brand executives and the public affected by it. This material is then analyzed according to the proposed by Semprini (2010). The study results indicate correlation between what the brand is intended to be and how the public appreciates it. However, some specific brand manifestations attenuate this relationship. Identifying those weaknesses enables brand managers to adapt their meaning proposition or the way they present their manifestations, in order to establishing a more consistent brand.
14
Shewade, Ruchi Ravi. "Transgender in India: A Semiotic and Reception Analysis of Bollywood Movies." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2020. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1703360/.
Full textAbstract:
The transgender community in India, commonly known as hijras, consists of people who were born as males but address themselves as females. They have been considered as the third gender in India for millennia and have had specific religious and sociocultural values and roles, but are forced to live in shadows in this day and age. Isolation of this community is also reflected in the way transgender characters are represented in Indian entertainment media. The study analyses two transgender themed films semiotically and the audience reception of those representations by 20 members of the transgender community. Semiotics is a helpful tool to understand the ways signs communicate ideas to viewers. This study applies syntagmatic and paradigmatic analyses to understand how images are used to represent and relay information to the audience. Reception theory along with double colonization has been incorporated in this study to analyse the ways in which the transgender community interprets the representations in entertainment media.
15
Kochetkova, Maria A. "Semiotic Approach to the Analysis of Interpersonal Communication in Modern Comedies." Bowling Green State University / OhioLINK, 2010. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1277147794.
Full text
16
Caswell, Heather C. "Captured images: a semiotic analysis of early 20th Century American schools." Diss., Kansas State University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/2097/14056.
Full textAbstract:
Doctor of PhilosophyCurriculum and Instruction
F. Todd Goodson
This study investigates visual representation of three perspectives: the context of school, the pedagogy, and the teacher-student relationships when viewing photographs taken during the first half of the 20th Century of American Schools. Grounded in the understanding of visual culture, this image-based study utilized photographs as a rich source of data. The photographs collected for this study were taken between 1900 -1959 in American schools and were categorized by the Library of Congress as still images of classrooms in the United States. The Library of Congress collection was utilized to provide reliable categorized and documented images of schooling. The collection included 1,812 photographs archived in the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs collections specifically labeled as Classrooms United States; the non-digitized Frances Benjamin Johnston Photograph Collection of United States Indian School; and, Look Magazine Teacher Issue Charlotte Brooks negatives collection. A three-layered analysis utilized an initial layer of analysis placing each of the photographs into four predetermined categories: Time Period (1900-1950’s), Urban-Rural, Wealth-Poverty, Active-Passive environment. The placement of each photograph into the above continua provided evidence of the balance of visual elements within the data collection. Seven themes emerged through an open-coding process within the second layer of analysis when each photograph was coded using a specific perspective: context, pedagogy, and teacher-student relationship. As themes were extracted, a third layer of analysis utilized a semiotic approach to identifying over 20 cultural icons representational of schooling within the photograph. Implications for further research are provided.
17
Story, Chad. "Symbols that unite: A semiotic analysis of the Vancouver 2010 brand." Thesis, University of Ottawa (Canada), 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/28323.
Full textAbstract:
Images assist in the propagation of mythological narratives, as is the case for the basic unit of analysis of this study, the Vancouver 2010 brand. The use of images gives material existence to abstract ideas such as nationalism, religion or the notion of unity. Using the notion of triadic semiosis, as well as the social semiotic model to which it belongs, this study analyzes contemporary notions of Canadian identity, as represented visually, through the Vancouver 2010 Olympic brand.
Two empirical findings have emerged as a result of this study: (1) The Canadian identity as conceptualized by scholars who have studied it in the past has undergone a process of change, namely a shift from a "traditional" Canada, deeply connected to the natural landscape and geography, to a "contemporary" Canada, composed of large metropolitan centers ready to do business with an increasingly globalized world. (2) A linguistic dualism continues to pervade within contemporary Canadian life, a fact visually represented within marketing materials used to promote the Vancouver 2010 brand.
18
Huang, Ying. "CONSTRUCTING THE WEST IN CHINESE MAGAZINE ADVERTISING: A CONTENT AND SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS." OpenSIUC, 2011. https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/dissertations/343.
Full textAbstract:
In the context of globalization, commercialization, and the increasing presence of Western images (Western models, Western languages, and Western settings) in Chinese society, this study examines how these images are constructed in Chinese magazine advertising. It utilizes quantitative content analysis, facilitated by semiotic analysis to approach issues of race, gender and power reflected in the images of the West. Methodologically, this study sees quantitative content analysis and semiotics as two complementary methods in the study of contemporary visually dominant print advertising. Theories in both social sciences and humanities were reviewed and brought into the analysis of data. Based on advertisements (N=2,882) from a stratified random sample of four months in 2009 in 19 Chinese consumer magazines (men's, women's and general interest), results of the study showed that images of the West are primarily represented by Western models, and White female models in particular. Focusing on advertisements for Chinese products and services, Western models in Chinese magazine advertising were found differently portrayed from their Chinese counterparts, in their frequency, the type of magazines they appear in, product/service categories they feature in, occupational status, the extent of nudity, and relation to product. When Western models were chosen for an ad, they served different roles than Chinese models. Close examination of individual advertisements from a semiotic perspective showed that Western female models were eroticized, while at the same time representing universal beauty; both Western male and female models were signs that signify quality, social status, luxury and enjoyment of good life; China's relation to the West is also complicated by the fact that China sees itself as a collaborator with the West in the economic domain, and at the same time, accepts the power of the West by romanticizing the colonial past. Overall, this study showed that images of the West in the Chinese context are multifaceted: they have different significations in different domains.
19
Carberry, Helen. "Semiotic analysis of clinical chemistry: for " knowledge work " in the medical sciences." Queensland University of Technology, 2003. http://eprints.qut.edu.au/15809/.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract In this thesis a socio-cultural perspective of medical science education is adopted to argue the position that undergraduate medical scientists must be enculturated into the profession as knowledge workers and symbolic analysts who can interact with computers in complex analytical procedures, quality assurance and quality management. The cue for this position is taken from the transformations taking place in the pathology industry due to advances in automation, robotics and informatics. The rise of Evidence-Based Laboratory Medicine (EBLM) is also noted and the observation by higher education researchers, that knowledge systems are transforming in such a way that disciplines can no longer act in isolation. They must now collaborate with disparate fields in transdisciplinary knowledge systems such as EBLM, for which new skills must be cultivated in undergraduate medical scientists. This thesis aims to describe a theoretical basis for knowledge work by taking a semiotic perspective. This is because, semiotics, a theory of signs and representations, can be applied to the structure of transdisciplinary scientific knowledge, the logic of scientific practice and the rhetoric of scientific communications. For this purpose, a semiotic framework is first derived from a wide range of semiotic theories existent in the literature. Then the application of this semiotic framework to clinical chemistry knowledge, context, logic, and rhetoric is demonstrated. This is achieved by interpreting various clinical chemistry data sources, for example, course materials, laboratory spatial arrangements, instruments, printouts, and students' practical reports, collected from a teaching laboratory situation. The results of semiotic analysis indicate that the clinical chemist working in the computerised laboratory environment performs knowledge work, and the term is synonymous with symbolic analysis. It is shown that knowledge work entails the application of a systematic structure for clinical chemistry knowledge derived in terms of the validation procedures applied to laboratory, data, results and tests; the application of logic in the classification and selection of instruments, their rulegoverned- use, and in troubleshooting errors; pragmatic decisions based on availability of space, services and budgets; discrimination among values in laboratory test evaluations in EBLM, for the cost-effectiveness and relevance of pathology services; and the recognition of rhetorical strategies used to communicate laboratory test information in graphs, charts, and statistics. The role of the laboratory context is also explained through semiotics, in terms of its spatial arrangements and designs of laboratory instruments, as a place that constrains the knowledge work experience. This contextual analysis provides insights into the oppositional trend brought to wide attention by analysts of computerised professional work, that more skills are needed, but that there are fewer highly skilled positions available. The curriculum implications of these findings are considered in terms of the need to cultivate knowledge workers for highly complex symbolic analysis in computerised laboratories; and also the need to prepare medical science graduates for the transdisciplinary knowledge system of EBLM, and related venues of employment such as biomedical research and clinical medicine. In meeting the aims to define and demonstrate knowledge work from the semiotic perspective, this thesis makes an original contribution to knowledge by the application of semiotics to a field in which it has probably never been tested. It contributes to the scholarship of teaching in higher education by formulating a structure for transdisciplinary medical science knowledge, which integrates scientific with other forms of knowledge, and with real world practice.
20
Hutchings, Stephen Charles. "A semiotic analysis of the short stories of Leonid Andreyev, 1900-1909." Thesis, Durham University, 1986. http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/6752/.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis applies the techniques of semiotic analysis to a selection of short stories by Leonid Andreyev in an attempt to offer one answer to the problems of categorising Andreyev's unique art and placing it within a literary-evolutionary perspective. The semiotic method was chosen because of its ability both to assimilate literary texts to the supra-individual processes with which it works, and at the same time to delineate an author's particular contribution to these processes. Drawing on a range of literary theory from early Russian Formalism onwards, the study proceeds from one level to another according to a principle of "degree of abstraction", so that each level constitutes firstly an independent account of Andreyev's texts in itself, and secondly one stage in an overall analysis. The analysis at each level pinpoints, in its own terms, a series of semiotic tensions or clashes as being at the heart of Andreyev's literary system. Conflict within his stories between the principles of poetry and prose, metaphor and metonymy, 'discourse' and 'story' and between codes of allegory and codes of reference are among the major tensions highlighted. These tensions are in turn used to account for the fantastic element in Andreyev's stories (tension and ambiguity being the key features of Fantastic literature as defined by many literary theoreticians).The unique, Andreyevan version of the Fantastic is viewed as an index of Andreyev's position in literary evolution at a point of transition between an older, authoritative, transitive mode of narration and a more recent, non-authoritative mode which has come to dominate much twentieth-century literature. The final reference-point for all these tensions is demonstrated to be a shift in modern culture as a whole towards a more impersonal. Mythic thought-system, a shift at the centre of which the art of Leonid Andreyev can be convincingly placed. The material drawn upon includes, in addition to the corpus of Andreyev stories specified, a wide range of works by Andreyev's contemporaries and also the hitherto unexploited draft-manuscripts to a number of Andreyev stories held in the Hoover Institution, U.S.A.A Glossary of the most commonly used theoretical terms is provided at the end of the study.
21
Fournier, Marianne. "The episode at Lystra (Acts 14,7-20a): A rhetorical and semiotic analysis." Thesis, University of Ottawa (Canada), 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/9616.
Full textAbstract:
The episode at Lystra (Acts of the Apostles 14,7-20a) forms part of Paul's first missionary journey in Asia Minor. In this text, Luke relates the story of Paul's first evangelization of the pagans. The vivid description of this short episode offers an example of methods in words and deeds used to preach the Gospel in the pagan world. Mostly historical and redactional studies have been done on this text. The aim of this thesis is to study the text from an ahistorical or synchronic point of view, following the newer literary methods of rhetorical criticism and semiotics. These methods, each with its particular emphases, point to different aspects of the text. A comparative study of Paul's speech at Lystra with Paul's speech at Antioch shows how new meaning emerges when the text is studied in its context. Questions concerning the origin and function of miracles in Acts as well as their relationship to the word are posed. Chapter one presents the state of the research on the episode at Lystra. Several theological and literary problems are addressed. Textual observations are made on the text. The text is delimited and a literal translation is given alongside the literary translation of the New Revised Standard Version. Chapter two presents a rhetorical analysis of the text based on the literary principles advanced by Albert Vanhoye, Marc Girard and Roland Meynet. The formal analysis follows the methodology developed by Meynet. The analysis addresses the coherence of the literary unit and leads to a first theological interpretation of the meaning of the text. Chapter three presents a semiotic analysis which follows the well-known method of Algirdas J. Greimas as outlined by the Cadir of Lyons, France. Its purpose is to investigate the operations and relationships present in the narrative and to discover the organization of its content. A discursive analysis is followed by a narrative analysis. The two analyses are then integrated and an attempt is made to interpret the results of this study. Chapter four presents a comparison of the two methods of semiotics and rhetorical analysis and discusses their merits and usefulness. The complementarity of the methods is highlighted as certain theological questions and themes are dealt with. This focuses the attention on the main message delivered in this episode. In light of the differences, new insights on the literary and theological questions of the text begin to emerge. Finally, the question of the limitations of the two methods is discussed. Chapter five addresses the significance of the episode at Lystra in the context of the book of Acts, first, in the immediate context of Paul's speech to the Jews at Antioch in chapter thirteen (vv. 16-41); a brief analysis of Paul's speech is done following the rules of ancient rhetoric. Then, the episode is analyzed in its wider context, that is, in reference to the general goal and structure of Acts. Some of the more important literary and theological questions brought to the fore touch the literary unity of the text, the function of the speech (vv. 15-17) and the nature of faith and its relationship to healing/salvation, the manner and outcome of the evangelization done at Lystra.
22
Hong, Mingjun. "Advertisements: Portray and Shape the Man : A Semiotic Analysis of Chinese Advertisements." Thesis, Örebro universitet, Institutionen för humaniora, utbildnings- och samhällsvetenskap, 2016. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:oru:diva-50890.
Full text
23
Lazuka-Dolan, Anna. "Social semiotic analysis of political transformation in Poland : analysis of newspaper media from 1944 to 1991." Thesis, University of Ulster, 2012. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.557136.
Full textAbstract:
The purpose of this PhD thesis is to undertake a social semiotic analysis of Polish media in pre and post communism period. In particular the analysis aims at suggesting a number of strategies used in newspaper media at the multimodal level. The analysis takes place at a number of levels. First, I investigate the newspaper layouts. Here, I point to Kress and van Leeuwen's (1998: 186) claim that 'All texts are multimodal', a remark that further serves as a departure point for their analytical framework in which it is considered that '( ... ) layout simultaneously involves three signifying systems: information value, salience and framing' (1998: 188). Thus, the analysis of newspaper layout involves a reading of particular front pages through the above-mentioned framework. It also tries to investigate how the front page layout changed in time, especially in the light of history and politics during the time-period taken into consideration. Second, the analysis proceeds to discuss the use of visuals. Here, I point again to Kress and van Leeuwen's (1996, 2006) account of visual meaning and the way they extend Halliday's idea of linguistic 'metafunctions' and further apply it to images. Any image, they claim, both represents the world and allows for some kind of engagement with the viewer but also constitutes a particular kind of text. As such, I further analyze images as found on the front pages in light of the historical and political context of the times. The third part concerns the analysis of headlines. In particular it investigates transitivity choices made in headlines in the respective newspapers throughout the time period analyzed. The period chosen, i.e. 1944 - 1991, enabled me to investigate the use of semiotic resources across a variety of modes as found in three different newspapers (Trybuna Ludu, Wyborcza and Trybuna) throughout a number of crucial periods in Polish history. This begins with the period of the building of the Stalinist model of socialism, through to the erosion of that system and up to and during its final breakdown, culminating in political and, social transformation. The framework used for the analysis is that proposed by Kress and van Leeuwen i.e. social semiotic multimodality, according to which there exist a number of semiotic resources, characterized by certain meaning potential, that are further used as resources in the process of meaning production and the interpretation of messages. The findings suggest changes, at the multimodal level, are especially visible in the way these newspaper layouts have orientated their readers to the world, especially, by way of specific images, most notably pertaining to representations of the work place, childhood and ultimately history itself.
24
de, Bourg Wetterlund Sofia. "Den svenska extremskidsporten: en sport oberoende av genus? : - En kvalitativ studie av utrymmet på skidtidningsomslag utifrån ett genusperspektiv." Thesis, Umeå universitet, Institutionen för kultur- och medievetenskaper, 2016. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-119362.
Full textAbstract:
Gender is a constantly debated subject, especially within the world of sports. The representation of athletes in the media is dominated by the males. It is often that the athletes are portrayed on the basis of their sex and gender. With the extreme skiing being a new and modern sport, should it not be autonomous from gender? This study aims to examine whether and if so how the cover design differ between female and male extreme skiing athletes and how it affects the professional skiers. A semiotic analysis was used on the covers of the Swedish skier’s magazine Åka Skidor and interviews were held with some of Sweden’s professional extreme skiers using a hermeneutic approach. The theoretical framework used for this study was poststructuralism, poststructuralist feminism and gender theory. The semiotic analysis showed that there is in fact a difference in both representation and how the skiers are portrayed on the covers of Åka Skidor. The interviews that were held resulted in three themes to answer the aim of this study. They were; the climate of extreme skiing, extreme skiing in media and the future of extreme skiing. The skiers had acknowledged that there is a difference between females and males when it comes to media representation and how they are portrayed. Although the explanation for this differs between the skiers they all mentioned the power of sponsors and sponsorship. However; the issue with athletes being portrayed and represented different based on their gender is not important enough to debate within the world of extreme skiing today. Therefore, it can be concluded that extreme skiing will probably not be autonomous from gender in the near future.
25
Thomas, Lorraine. "Disability is not so beautiful, a semiotic analysis of advertisements for rehabilitation goods." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1999. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape9/PQDD_0017/MQ52668.pdf.
Full text
26
Maassen, Anne-Christine Stephanie. "Solar cities in Europe : a material semiotic analysis of innovation in urban photovoltaics." Thesis, Durham University, 2012. http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/3592/.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis explores the gradual and by no means unproblematic emergence of solar photovoltaic technologies (PV) in European cities. It is a qualitative study of innovation in urban PV across three European cities: Barcelona (Spain), London (UK) and Paris (France) which draws on documentary evidence and interview data with a broad range of urban professionals engaged in implementing the technology. The thesis interrogates current understandings of how ‘green’ technologies such as PV are thought to bring about ‘sustainable’ transformations by ‘breaking through’ from the margins into mainstream society. Several innovation studies frameworks are assessed in terms of their merits and shortcomings for understanding innovation in urban PV. It is argued that extant literatures succinctly frame innovation as an interplay between that which is ‘novel’ and that which is ‘in place’, however, that they fail to address three issues that are critical for understanding how new technologies may emerge and transform: the multiplicity and heterogeneity of actors and their means for contesting ‘sustainable’ (or other) transformations, the complex spatio-temporality of ‘barriers’ to innovation, and the ways in which technologies gather humans, materials and spaces into new, potentially more ‘sustainable’ constellations. The thesis develops ‘material semiotics’ as a conceptual foundation and methodology for understanding innovation. Material semiotics provides powerful analytical sensibilities that enable the thesis to radically re-imagine the objects, processes and places involved in innovation. Through understanding innovation as characterised by attempts to bring forth into the present aspirations for alternative futures, urban PV is understood as simultaneously a vehicle for, as well as an outcome of, sustainable transformation. Its entanglement in a myriad of social, material, spatial and temporal relations is shown to engender a geography of ‘sustainable’ innovation that is much more partial and imperfect than current understandings suggest.
27
Smith, Terry Donovan. "Text and performance : semiotic analysis for dramaturgy and the development of production concepts /." Thesis, Connect to this title online; UW restricted, 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/1773/10226.
Full text
28
Kaschock, Kirsten. "Moving through the Unsayable: Applying Julia Kristeva's Semiotic and Abject to Choreographic Analysis." Diss., Temple University Libraries, 2013. http://cdm16002.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p245801coll10/id/235678.
Full textAbstract:
DancePh.D.
This dissertation explores literary-theoretical constructions arising from the consideration of certain non-narrative linguistic strategies and applies them to dance analysis. My intent is not only to provide new, functional tools for dance scholars and writers, but also to alter the theoretical terms themselves: by employing literary critical language beyond its original purpose, I hope to locate the limits of that language as it applies to dance. Moreover, I strive to identify the ways moving bodies complicate concepts normally applied to static and disembodied text. In this way my research moves in two directions: adding a specific theoretical lens to the dance-writing toolbox, and, in turn, using dance to sharpen and focus that lens. I have chosen two theoretical constructs--Julia Kristeva's explication of the semiotic aspect of language and her characterization of the abject--because of the ways they address the unsayable through body, repetition, and rhythm. Kristeva's texts, Desire in Language (1981) and Powers of Horror (1982), provide the dissertation's primary theoretical frameworks. The first text puts forth key concepts about heterogeneous meaning within her conceptualization of the semiotic; the second addresses meaning that exceeds language, and the self, and arises out of the abject (a crisis of the subject when confronted with a breakdown of boundaries between self and other). Both concepts are relevant to dance, emerging from the materiality/substance of language rather than from language as a phantom structure that ideas are placed into. This dissertation grapples with how dance strives to express that which exceeds "paraphrasable" meaning from three vantage points: 1) the assessment of the critical reception of historic choreography (Paul Taylor's Big Bertha) that plays simple narrative against the horror of the unknown; 2) an examination of participants' communications during the choreographic process of innovative choreographer, Gabrielle Lamb, and how research material was transformed during that process; 3) the documentation of my own struggle to express the unsayable during the creation of a hybrid dance/textual piece. These perspectives require different analytic strategies: 1) the casting of an artwork's meaning in historical and cultural contexts, 2) the parsing of the language used to communicate meaning between participants during the creative process, 3) the self-chronicling and reflective analysis of meaning-making during the conception and execution of a hybrid work. My objective is to show how Kristeva's theoretical constructs play out in different types of dance analysis and how the lack of a certain strain of theoretical language in dance discourse has left a hole where discussion might profitably ensue. I seek to use Kristeva's texts and post/modern techniques of the body to offer a multi-layered and technically invested understanding of dance rather than an aphoristic and imagistic one: one that substitutes multiple, specific bodies and their actions for a single idealized institution of the beautiful.
Temple University--Theses
29
Cheix, Mathilde. "Jevons, Debreu and the foundations of mathematical economics : an historical and semiotic analysis." Thesis, University of St Andrews, 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/10023/15231.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis analyses whether the criticism that 20th c economic theory is too abstract, and lacking in economic meaning as a consequence of being mathematical, is justified, from a methodological perspective that is epistemological in character (cf ch2 and Cheix, 1996). Using, firstly the 'external' historical approach, that compares. Economics to the sciences (especially Mathematics chs 5, 6, 7, 8); and, secondly, the semiotic approach, that enquires into the contribution of notation to meaning, the thesis examines the historical and cognitive raison d'etre of mathematics in Economics. The thesis identifies (chs l, 2) 20th c mathematical-economics with model building and neoclassical theory. The main lines of argument are developed with reference to Jevons' Theory of Political Economy and Debreu's Theory of Value. This limitation is practical but not unnecessarily restrictive as the authors are major neo-classical writers, and mathematical economics has developed along the lines they envisaged. Further, neo-classical ideas have established themselves as paradigms of 20th c Economics, and have influenced theories in the social sciences and their mathematization. It is shown that Jevons (ch5) used the symbolism, and in particular, the linearity property of differentials to unify economic theory and the sciences on the pattern of Physics. For him however, the mathematization of economics involved also empirical and experimental inquiries using statistics. For the case of Debreu (ch6) it is shown how he used set-theoretic formalism and fixed point theorems to provide equilibrium theory with logico-mathematical content. This content is viewed as an axiomatic and deductive structure implying equilibrium. The definitions of mathematical economic models discussed in Part 3 show that economics was mathematized through influences not only from Physics, but also from Logic, and, more widely from the 20th c (socio-cultural) trend of model building in science. It is argued that this latter trend is not exclusively, or even necessarily, rooted in neo-classical economics. The semiotic analysis of chs 5 and 6 reveals how notations connect different interpretative levels ('isotopies') of mathematical theories, and how inconsistences may arise between these levels. The general conclusion of the thesis given certain methodological provisos, is that mathematization, in itself, is not a cause of, or explanation for, the emptiness of economic theories.
30
Matsabisa, Mathapelo. "A social semiotic analysis of mini-bus taxis as mobilescapes in Cape Town." University of the Western Cape, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/8112.
Full textAbstract:
Philosophiae Doctor - PhDLinguistic Landscape (LL) is a rapidly growing area of investigation that concerns itself with the attention to language, cultural objects and images displayed in public spaces. Prompted by caveats of the earlier traditional studies which included counting the visibility of languages, the fixity of signs, coupled with methodological issues that lacked data triangulation, new approaches emerged. In this present study, framed as A Social Semiotic Analysis of Mini-Bus Taxis as Mobilescapes in Cape Town, specific inquiry about the emergence of language use through an analysis of the evolution of messages that are inscribed on taxis that transport people within Cape Town and between Cape Town and other cities around South Africa is made to disentangle these caveats.
2023
31
Pham, Randy Hoang. "“Whiteness in a tube” A Semiotic Analysis of TV Commercials in the Philippines." Thesis, Malmö universitet, Fakulteten för kultur och samhälle (KS), 2018. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-22385.
Full text
32
Klobucar, Zeljka Kristín. "A Semiotic Analysis of the Representation of Arctic Inuit in the National Geographic." Thesis, Malmö universitet, Fakulteten för kultur och samhälle (KS), 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-21044.
Full textAbstract:
This study examines representations of Inuit people in the photographic images of the National Geographic with the aim of analyzing how they are portrayed in the photographs in which they appear. The theoretical framework consists of theories on representation with a focus on postcolonial theory, otherness and Eskimo Orientalism. The underlying methodological framework is constructivism while the method of semiotic approach as defined by Ronald Barthes is used to analyze the data. The researcher coded photographs of Inuit and examined how meanings are created through ‘the signs’ present in the images, before identifying the denotative and connotative meanings attached to the images. The main coding factors were look, appearance, activities, surroundings and use of technology. Conclusion is that portrayals of Inuit in the National Geographic from 1990 to 2010 have strong presence of stereotypes as well as myth but after that period the presence of stereotypes diminishes.
33
Barton, Mica Waggoner. "A Rhetorical Analysis of Major Oil Companies' Advertisements in 1990 : A Semiotic Approach." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1998. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc279180/.
Full textAbstract:
This study demonstrates how discourse is used to construct popular myths. This study analyzes magazine advertisements used by businesses in overcoming the rhetorical problem posed by a public opinion that blamed them for environmental problems. This study shows how businesses used advertisements to construct a popular myth that businesses were doing their part in overcoming the environmental crisis.
34
Porteous, Carol. "The Making of 'Annabelle Blue': A Peircean Semiotic Analysis of the Creative Process." Thesis, Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/31739.
Full textAbstract:
The paper discusses how the semiotic relationships involved in the process of creating a documentary, interconnect and affect the documentary's truth claims from the perspective of Peirce's semiotic theory. To do this, I created an autobiographical film called 'Annabelle Blue' and then analyzed the experience. The making of 'Annabelle Blue' involved a number of representations, each of which involved the interplay of iconic, indexical and symbolic elements and each of which had a substantial influence on how the process continued. It is my contention
that documentary's truth claims must be evaluated in light of the assumption that documentary representation is a dynamic, creative process involving the jostling for position between semiotic aspects at every level.
35
Larsson, Andreas. "Embodied Understanding in Computer Programming : A semiotic analysis of metaphors used in programming." Thesis, Linköpings universitet, Pedagogik och didaktik, 2018. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-147283.
Full textAbstract:
Language can be seen as a bridge between the way we think and our actions. From a social semiotic, language becomes a resource with which collective knowledge can be distributed. The way we talk about an artefact is a reflection of our conceptual understanding thereof. Often, we use conceptual metaphors to communicate abstract concepts in abstract reasoning domains such as computer science. Conceptual metaphors are formed in relation to primary metaphors and are grounded in sensorimotor experience. Primary metaphors can be used to analyse how we embody our conceptual understanding of specific concepts. The aims of this study are threefold: Firstly, to explore how conceptual metaphors are used by students and teachers while engaging in conversations about computer programming; secondly, to analyse the emergent conceptual metaphors to identify how teachers and students understand abstract aspects about computer programming and thirdly, to identify the sensorimotor experiences that contribute to shaping the conceptual metaphors used by the students and the teachers. Two teachers and three students from two different upper-secondary schools engaged in informal conversations regarding aspects of computer programming. The conversations were audiorecorded, and excerpts were transcribed verbatim and translated into English. The excerpts were analysed by adopting a methodological framework based on Grady’s theory of primary metaphor. Results suggest that teachers and students have a multi-faceted conceptual understanding of computer science that involves concepts such as spatial relations, similarities between objects and computer code. Other emergent aspects concerned interpersonal relationships, in relation to customer service and social skills. The findings imply that expanding the number of available conceptual metaphors could lead to a more diverse set of didactic tools in computer science education, thus increasing overall conceptual understanding.Vårt språk kan ses som en brygga mellan det sätt vi tänker och det sätt vi agerar. Ur ett socialsemiotiskt perspektiv blir språket ett verktyg med vilket kollektiv kunskap kan distribueras. Detta gör det rimligt att säga att det sätt varpå vi talar en spegling av vår möjlighet att förstå. Vi använder ofta konceptuella metaforer för att kommunicera abstrakta koncept som exempelvis datavetenskap. Konceptuella metaforer formas i relation till primärmetaforer, grundade i sensomotoriska erfarenheter. Primärmetaforer kan användas för att analysera hur vi kroppsligt befäster och förstår specifika koncept. Syftet med denna studie är att: i, undersöka hur konceptuella metaforer används av lärare och elever vid samtal rörande programmering, ii, använda de uppkomna konceptuella metaforerna för att identifiera lärares och elevers förståelse för abstrakta aspekter av programmering och iii, identifiera de sensomotoriska upplevelser som formar de konceptuella metaforer lärarna och eleverna använder sig av. Informella samtal kring olika aspekter av programmering genomfördes med två lärare och tre elever vid två svenska gymnasieskolor. Samtalen spelades in, varefter kortare utdrag transkriberades och översattes till engelska. Utdragen har analyserats med en metod baserad på Gradys teori om primärmetaforer. Studiens resultat visar att lärare och elever har en mångfacetterad förståelse för programmering. Deras konceptuella förståelse baseras på bland annat rumsliga relationer mellan olika objekt, skillnader och olika objekt samt relationen till kod. Andra identifierade aspekter berör interpersonella förhållanden, kundservice och social kompetens. Resultaten indikerar att en vidgad uppsättning didaktiska verktyg inom programmeringsundervisning skulle kunna öka antalet tillgängliga konceptuella metaforer relaterade till programmering och således öka den generella konceptuella förståelsen för programmering.
36
Correa, Deodrin Maria. "The construction of gender identity in India through television advertisements: A semiotic analysis." Thesis, Australian Catholic University, 2011. https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/download/754169058810a05dccdf841a6e3a0946c4d05d113a6c841b6af599dd45631a7b/3210121/64831_downloaded_stream_56.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
This study investigates how television advertisements in India construct gender identity. Advertisements that appeared during popular Indian television serials were obtained from a local video rental outlet and recorded on a weekly basis for a period of six months. A representative sample was then screened and used for analysis. As sign systems are involved in the construction of meaning (Chandler, 2001) - and advertising makes use of signs to convey its message (Bezuidenhout, 1998), this study employed semiotics as a method for analysing the ideological messages of Indian television advertisements - as semiotics is concerned with the study of signs. The proposed structure of the semiotic analysis in this study, is guided by Barthes (1977) essay ""The Rhetoric of the image"". All the advertisements involving domesticity emphasised the traditional role of women - as a wife and mother. Through the ideologically constructed messages, the advertisements not only valorised and affirmed the traditional role of Indian women but also made the domestic role of the woman appear natural to the viewers (Roy, 1998). This study is one of the first major studies of the nexus between the media, and the construction of gender-identity in India today. Therefore, it will not only be significant to policy makers but also to educators who could use it as a basis for developing and implementing a media literacy program, aimed at developing students' critical thinking and media literacy skills to enable their capacity to evaluate the role and power of the media in lives.
37
Jeffery, Christopher. "Serial meaning : a semiotic/narratological analysis of Arnold Schoenberg's Third string quartet, first movement." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/50448.
Full textAbstract:
ThesisENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this study is to contribute to the investigation of the methods in which serial technique expresses meaning in the first movement of Arnold Schoenberg's Third Quartet, Op.30. It aims to add to the debate concerning Schoenberg's use of conventional formsparticularly sonata form-in his serial music, by investigating how he manipulates the row to playa narrative function, seemingly in opposition to its homogeneous nature. The analytical section consists of a semiotic analysis based on the work of Jean- Jacques Nattiez. It incorporates a narratological analysis which infers from the semiotic data that Schoenberg's "idea", which is associated with notions of unity, is brought towards fulfilment through his narrativization of the row in the context of sonata form.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie is om by te dra tot die ondersoek na die metodes met behulp waarvan seriële tegniek "betekenis" tot uitdrukking bring in Arnold Schoenberg se derde strykkwartet, op. 30. Dit poog om 'n bydrae te lewer tot die debat oor Schoenberg se gebruik van konvensionele vorms-in besonder sonatevorm-in sy seriële musiek te ondersoek, deur middel van manipulasies van die reeks in diens van 'n narratiewe funksie, oënskynlik in teenstelling met die homogene aard van die reeks. Die analitiese gedeelte van die studie bestaan uit 'n semiotiese analise gebaseer op die werk van Jean-Jacques Nattiez. Hierby word ingesluit 'n narratologiese analise waarin vanuit die semiotiese data afgelei word dat Schoenberg se "idee", wat geassosieer word met opvattings van eenheid, tot 'n slotsom gebring word deur middel van sy narrativering van die reeks in die konteks van sonatevorm.
38
Casas, Maria Caridad. "Multimodality in the poetry of Lillian Allen & Dionne Brand : a social semiotic analysis." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 2002. http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/10020390/.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis develops social semiotic theory by asking it to account for the meaning-making practices of African-Canadian poets Lillian Allen and Dionne Brand. Its primary aim is to develop the theory, though it attempts to describe in new and interesting ways certain moments in these oral / written texts at the margins of the literary. The research question, what is the relationship between spoken creole and English writing? is an entry into the political issues raised by the texts themselves, and larger issues of clisciplinarity and the epistemologies of linguistic and literary studies. After giving an account of their literary-historical and black feminist contexts and an overview of the poetry of Allen and Brand, I look for a poststructuralist semiotic model of the relationship between letter and sound in Derrida's "The End of the Book and the Beginning of Writing". Finding his -07 version phonetic writing too restricted to account for the practices of Allen and Brand, and deconstruction only a partial explanation of Caribbean feminist poetics, I develop a critical sociolinguistic / social semiotic account of language standardisation, conventionality, and grammar. With the aid of Saussure's Cours 4 linguistique generale, I work out the formal properties of the sign necessary to account for these, and then go on to explain how they work in the texts of Allen and Brand using two social semiotic principles of production: "projection" and "embodiment". My thesis is that orality is a mode, as is dialect (including standardised language), the English grapholect, and the semiotic body. Each of these has certain meaning-making affordances not accessible in the others. The writing of Allen and Brand, as well as Allen's performance, use each of these modes to create different meanings.
39
Wilton, Marion. "A multi-semiotic discourse analysis of feminine beauty in selected True Love magazine advertisements." University of the Western Cape, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/4859.
Full textAbstract:
Magister Artium - MAAdvertising and media imagery shape attitudes about race and ethnicity, which means that advertising media play an influential part in constructing the frame through which individuals perceive racial differences and negotiate norms and ideas around ethnicity. Physical signifiers such as skin colour and hair are not only considered to be the most important facets in global beauty culture but are also seen as two principal phenotypes for racial classification (Mercer, 1987). These two attributes are also deeply situated within Black Feminist Discourse Studies and are therefore, culturally and socially significant (Erasmus, 1997; Hunter, 2002). As Dyer (1997:539) states: “every decision about a person’s worth is based on what they look like, what they speak, and where they came from.” Hence, body and hair politics point to power struggles which stem from historical discourses. As part of a capitalist environment, magazines such as True Love are also perceived as cultural commodities which occupy an important role in creating, transmitting and disseminating cultural meaning and in this regard, advertised texts are rich in cultural meaning and embedded with hidden ideologies. As a vehicle of social communication, True Love professes to be a mouth piece and a representative of the liberal, modern Black South African woman and portrays itself as a guiding companion and expert on womanhood (Laden, 2001). In this capacity, the magazine also creates and transmits messages about ideal feminine beauty. Following a multi-semiotic approach, by incorporating multimodality and social semiotics as proposed by Kress and Van Leeuwen (2006), Van Leeuwen (2006; 2008) and O’Halloran (2011, in press), beauty advertisements are scrutinized in terms of the different semiotic principles which afford for different meaning-making opportunities and interpretation. Critical discourse analysis suggested by Fairclough (1992) and Wodak (1995) renders a supportive function to this social semiotic multimodal framework, in order to critically explore how the notion of ideal feminine beauty is constructed in True Love and to establish how inter-semiotic relations are created, reinforced and function to sustain hegemonic ideas in present-day beauty advertisements. The findings suggest that socio-cultural meanings attached to phenotypic traits such as skin and hair remain significant in contemporary society as a result of the repeated themes in media, especially advertising. Moreover, the consequential emphasis on beauty culture and the omnipresence of idealised imagery in mainstream media are responsible for composing and sustaining the belief that Whiteness is the only valid prototype of beauty. The whitewashing of Black models show how idealised preferences in media prevail. Advertisements display how the message of White superiority and supremacy is constructed visually and verbally, ultimately producing an overall ‘visual language of Whiteness’ which leads to devaluing and erasing forms of Black identity, while enhancing forms of White representation. This paper exposes existing dominant cultural narratives in the True Love advertising discourse that simultaneously produce and inflate an idealised Eurocentric version of feminine beauty. The hegemonic standard of feminine beauty dictates that women conform to a specific ideal which involves engaging in practices such as skin lightening, hair straightening or wearing weaves. This dissertation concludes that digital alteration techniques and photographic manipulation are predominantly used in mass media to portray advertised images resembling ideals closer, which means that it effectively enhances rather than detracts from the norm. Thus, White women look Whiter, thinner, richer and blonder. Caucasian models in advertised texts all have light hair and are seldom portrayed with dark hair. Light-skinned Black women portray Western mediated standards through physical appearances which seem to emulate those of their White counterparts, which Hunter (2011) describes as the ‘illusion of inclusion’. Although this marketing strategy operates under the premise of fostering ethnic diversity and to include women from all racial backgrounds, it reinforces the belief that Anglo-Saxon beauty norms are the only valorised signifiers of idealised beauty. Essentially, having a light skin colour is associated with sophistication, social mobility, success and the resulting financial and economic well-being. Based on this, the magazine appears to promote and celebrate feminine beauty based on a Eurocentric ideal.
40
Chung, Jae Chorl. "A semiotic analysis of television news coverage of the anti- abortion movement, 1973-1989 /." The Ohio State University, 1992. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1487759914757919.
Full text
41
Evans, Luke Aaron Ralph. "Recipes for love : a semiotic analysis of the tools in the erotic magical papyri." Thesis, Durham University, 2016. http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/11454/.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis is a semiotic analysis of the tools instructed for application by the erotic magical papyri (EMP). Erotic magic, one of the largest categories instructed by the Papyri Graecae Magicae (PGM), is performed to establish or reinforce a relationship with an erotic nature. The performance of erotic magic is reliant on the incorporation of a broad variety of ritual practices, including, for example, necromancy, binding, divination, and sacrificial ceremonies. The tools have been defined as the physical substances, materials, and objects that are instructed for application by the PGM for the performance of erotic magic. Any analysis of the PGM will immediately notice that the manipulation of physical tools is ever-present and, as a consequence, the image portrayed of the magician is one of a tool-wielding practitioner. This statement can lead logically to the conclusion that the power of the rituals instructed by the EMP did not reside within the individual but in the manipulation of tools in the proper manner. As a consequence, to understand magic and how it was performed, it is essential to understand the instructions for the manipulation of tools. The main objective of this thesis is to discover, through the application of semiotics, if there was any rationale to the application of a tool and, if there was meaning, did this rationale correlate directly to the outcome of the erotic spells instructed by the PGM.
42
Crowther, D. E. A. "The dialectics of corporate reporting : a semiotic analysis of corporate financial and environmental reporting." Thesis, Aston University, 1999. http://publications.aston.ac.uk/10733/.
Full textAbstract:
The central argument to this thesis is that the nature and purpose of corporate reporting has changed over time to become a more outward looking and forward looking document designed to promote the company and its performance to a wide range of shareholders, rather than merely to report to its owners upon past performance. it is argued that the discourse of environmental accounting and reporting is one driver for this change but that this discourse has been set up as in conflicting with the discourse of traditional accounting and performance measurement. The effect of this opposition between the discourses is that the two have been interpreted to be different and incompatible dimensions of performance with good performance along one dimension only being achievable through a sacrifice of performance along the other dimension. Thus a perceived dialectic in performance is believed to exist. One of the principal purposes of this thesis is to explore this perceived dialectic and, through analysis, to show that it does not exist and that there is not incompatibility. This exploration and analysis is based upon an investigation of the inherent inconsistencies in such corporate reports and the analysis makes use of both a statistical analysis and a semiotic analysis of corporate reports and the reported performance of companies along these dimensions. Thus the development of a semiology of corporate reporting is one of the significant outcomes of this thesis. A further outcome is a consideration of the implications of the analysis for corporate performance and its measurement. The thesis concludes with a consideration of the way in which the advent of electronic reporting may affect the ability of organisations to maintain the dialectic and the implications for corporate reporting.
43
Hubsch, Jean-Frederic. "Musical theatre in translation: A semiotic analysis of Jacques Brel's "L'Homme de la Mancha"." Thesis, University of Ottawa (Canada), 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/27375.
Full textAbstract:
Translation of musical theatre has been afforded little academic study. This project aims to help fill this gap in order to develop the study of musical theatre in translation studies. This begins with defining the specificity of musical theatre as a form, using prior work in both the study and translation of theatre and of opera. The goal is to position musical theatre as an object for analysis and to outline the constraints attached to the translation thereof. An analysis of the effect on translation of some of these constraints follows based on notions from discourse analysis and music interpretation. Finally, this semiotic framework focussing on the use of isotopy is applied to a specific case of musical theatre translation, that of Man of La Mancha translated into French by Jacques Brel as L'homme de La Mancha.
44
Jorvid, Niclas. "Speaking Symbols : A semiotic analysis of the Smart Ping system in League of Legends." Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Institutionen för speldesign, 2014. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-227373.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis brings attention to communication systems in games and how their development has stagnated. The focus is directed towards visual communication and the question of “Can the Smart Ping system in League of Legends suggest visual communication as a viable solution for in-game communication in multiplayer games, according to the semiotic model of Roland Barthes? ” is presented. Roland Barthes’ two order of signification model is then used to perform an analysis of the visual communication system called Smart Ping in the game League of Legends. The findings suggests that visual systems can be a viable solution as they provide visual techniques in design, tactic use for players while being effective to execute, helps removing language barrier problems and can use cultural aspects to an advantage in design when creating the system, making it easier for players to understand the message created. In-game multiplayer communication, is a vital part of how a game succeeds or falters when providing tools for players to communicate; as it is one of the main areas that creates frustration for the players. An aspect of this importance is that as frustration builds up, the flaws of design are found and questioned, and if not answered, damages the community due to the consequences of not solving the issues within the game. Therefore it is important that designers do not neglect the issues related to the current systems, and instead work to find new solutions, because if they do not, it damages the relationship between consumers and developers. This topic is discussed as frustration for players also bring toxicity into the community of games. To finalize the thesis suggests an approach in connection to visual communication systems and emphasizes experimentation in game design as an important part of development; while as a developer staying open towards feedback helps, as it strengthens the community and can provide new solutions from unexpected sources.
45
Soden, Shakuntala Rudra. "Representations of ageing in a selection of women's magazines : a textual and semiotic analysis." Thesis, University of Roehampton, 2009. https://pure.roehampton.ac.uk/portal/en/studentthesis/representations-of-ageing-in-a-selection-of-women’s-magazines(cb5387e3-de8b-41f2-8d46-2e07c42f3737).html.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis examines representations of ageing in women‟s magazines. Although ageing is an inevitable part of the human condition, this thesis takes the position that ageing is culturally constructed and that women‟s magazines are a key site in such constructions. It is noticeable that, within the Academy generally, there has been less work into the social construction of the ageing process than there has been into other relations of „difference‟ such as gender or race. That said, in the last two decades, work in this area has started to emerge. Factors which account for this include the influence of the baby boomer generation, a sizeable age cohort, born between 1945-1964 who are now growing older themselves. The thesis presents a textual and semiotic analysis of the way in which getting older is constituted through written, visual and spoken texts. The primary data in the research consists of articles from women‟s magazines, analysed using a range of semiotic and linguistic tools, most notably the theories of Roland Barthes, particularly his concept of „Myth‟. Metonymy and the function of stereotyping are also key theoretical concepts. In addition, I analyse data from transcriptions of informal interviews with women magazine readers drawing on the same theoretical concepts. In this way, I am able to examine how magazine texts are received by their readership and, moreover, how women position themselves in relation to what they are reading. The analysis is underpinned by three Myths of Ageing: firstly, that ageing is a decline scenario: it involves both mental and physical decline; secondly, that ageing is synonymous with loss of power: sexual, economic and social; and lastly that ageing must be resisted. I show how the „new positive‟ images of growing older that are being drawn out and portrayed in media representations are not necessarily positive in terms of the impact they have on contemporary women. These images are presented as „new‟, but I shall demonstrate that they are, in fact, a re-working of the underlying Myths of Ageing, myths which construct ageing as a culturally very negative experience, particularly for women in this historical moment.
46
Sands, Victoria. "Neoliberalism, Postfeminism, and Ideal Girls: A Semiotic Discourse Analysis of Successful Girlhood in Seventeen Magazine." Thèse, Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/23354.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis looks at how a contemporary notion of successful girlhood is negotiated in the social text of Seventeen magazine. Moreover, it demonstrates the ways in which Seventeen’s representations of successful and ideal girls reflect and mediate timely values of postfeminism and neoliberalism. This thesis will also make visible how race, class, ability, and sexuality are negotiated within Seventeen’s “success” framework, in order to illuminate intersectional issues implicit in conceptualizing ideal girlhood. The method for this research is a semiotic discourse analysis, looking at the visual and linguistic signs within the text in order to connect them with broader ideologies and themes surrounding contemporary ideal girlhood. Drawing on girls’ studies and feminist cultural studies literature, the discourse of ideal girlhood is situated in a so-called “postfeminist” moment, in which girls, as popular, highly visible subjects in contemporary society, are perceived to be poised for achievement and social ascension, all while being closely surveilled. These expectations of postfeminism intersect with current neoliberal principles of individualized success; analysis is therefore connected with and contextualized by discussion of late modern principles of neoliberalism and its economic, social, and political logic.
47
Timmermans, Michelle. "Gender In Reality Television : A semiotic analysis of masculinity and femininity in the Survivor franchise." Thesis, Stockholms universitet, Institutionen för mediestudier, 2012. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:su:diva-81405.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis intends to bring up masculinity and femininity as presented in the American adaptation of the Survivor series. Focus will lie on exposing subtle differences in the programs presentation of men and women in the first episode of the currently on-air season of the show. In attempting to do so, the following questions will also be put into focus: - What male or female stereotypes seem to be encouraged? - What notable signs relating to gender are featured in the episode? - How can these signs be interpreted? - What do these presentations imply about gender roles? Through the use of literature to study the reality-TV genre, this thesis will provide theories on gender, stereotypes, and the broader reality-TV genre, which will be researched further through semiotic theory and representation in the media. Here, a variety of prior research on the subject, for example Henry Jenkins, Richard Dyer and Annette Hill will be presented. Semiotic theories based on the work of Ferdinand de Saussure and Roland Barthes will provide the basis for a semiotic analysis of signification within the chosen episode. Through the identification of and analysis of signs in the chosen episode, a content analysis will provide insight into underlying attitudes towards men and women in the 24th season of Survivor. The analysis found evidence of the utilization of recognizable stereotypes in order to strengthen the personalities and reliability of the contestants. Both the acknowledgment of gender stereotypes and those of smaller social groups were apparent in the episode. When decoding several signs throughout the episode, there were also indications of the encouragement of traditional gender roles as the norm, and the portrayal of masculinity and femininity were depicted as central parts of established gender roles. Connotation associated with the selected signs seemed to both recognize and operate on gender roles. There was certain evidence that appeared to encourage rivalry between men and women, and suggest a society driven by historical gender roles. This episode of Survivor did not seem to question society’s gender roles, rather encourages them, where certain male dominance over women is evident.
48
Sekulic, Mary. "Information technology and Alberta public schools, a semiotic analysis of educational policy in the 1990s." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2000. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape3/PQDD_0001/MQ59765.pdf.
Full text
49
Tan, Simon B. K. "A Semiotic Approach to Enterprise Infrastructure Modelling - The Problem Articulation Method for Analysis and Applications." Thesis, University of Reading, 2006. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.485500.
Full textAbstract:
In recent years, advances in information technology and enterprise engineering have revolutionised the way businesses are conducted. Enterprises. are complicated organisations consisting of 'artefacts' (enterprise structure, activities, processes, information, resources, behaviour, goals, and constraints) that must be coordinated, planned and engineered to accomplish the enterprise goals. Enterprise engineering is an engineering approach comprised of techniques, methods, and infrastructures to aid the design, analysis, and implementation of an enterprise system. However, many modellers forgo the enterprise modelling methods and techniques and use localised ad-hoc and point solutions that are not amenable for enterprise infrastructure design. The current methods and techniques available are ill-equipped to model the holistic requirements oftoday's complex enterprises. .' This research adopts the PAM (problem Articulation Method), rooted in semiotics, a study of signs, symbols, language and information. PAM offers a suite of techniques, which enables the articulation and analysis of business, technical and organisational requirements, delivering a rigorous enterprise infrastructure to support the model. The method works by eliciting and formalising project planning and modelling (processes, .activities, relationships, responsibilities, communications, resources, agents, dependencies and constraints), where the abstractions are mapped to represent the manifestation ofthe 'actual' enterprise. ~ .,J The proposed enterprise framework incorporates PAM and MEASUR (Methods for Eliciting Analysing and Specifying Users Requirements) a suite of semiotics methods to model the agent's ontological relationships, defining its meaning (semantics) to improve the analytical capability of the model and elicit the normative behaviours of agents to enrich the enterprise model. The PAM method has been further extended to examine the method relevance and significance in dealing with innovation in the modelling and planning of complex enterprise projects. The PAM conceptual model created is subsequently analysed, tested and verified using an off-the-shelf discreteevent simulation software, to be modelled dynamically. The simulation models are also validated by the domain experts from the respective organisations to assess the consistency, coherence and logical correctness of the 'model. This modelling approach contributed to the further development of the PAM theories, methods and techniques and represents a significant improvement to facilitate enterprise infrastructure planning and in so doing, exploit the technological, business and organisational effectiveness.
50
He, Yan, and 何燕. "The use and function of signs in the gospel according to John: a semiotic analysis." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2011. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B46701461.
Full text