Module Identifier

MC30820

Module Title

VISUAL SEMIOTICS

Academic Year

2008/2009

Co-ordinator

Dr Daniel G J Chandler

Semester

Intended for use in future years

Course Delivery

Delivery Type	Delivery length / details
Other	Lecture workshop 1 x 2 hour per week

Assessment

Assessment Type	Assessment length / details	Proportion
Semester Assessment	Assigment 2 - 2500 words Resit Information	50%
Semester Assessment	Assigment 1 - 2500 words For information on due dates for submission of assessed work, please refer to the departmental web pages at http://www.aber.ac.uk/tfts/duedates.shtml	50%

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:

to understand key semiotic concepts

to understand basic principles of semiotic textual analysis

to apply semiotic approaches to the analysis of mass media texts

to asses the usefulness and limitations of such approaches

Brief description

Semiotics has an unenviable reputation for being dense with jargon and difficult to understand. In this module students are offered a practicalintroduction to the application of semiotics to the study of the mass media and are also assisted in interpreting media theorists who have adopted semiotic approaches. They are encouraged to adopt a critical approach to semiotic theories and applications. 'Semiotics for Beginners', which is part of this module, is a very popular hypertext book on the World-Wide Web. We consider in particular the theme of visual representation. For full details see the Module Website at http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Modules/MC30820/.

Content

The lectures are based on the following:

Signifier and Signified
Structural Analysis
Codes
Beyond the Literal
Practical Textual Analysis (1)
Photography and Film
Practical Textual Analysis (2)
Intertextuality and Reflexivity
Representation and the Construction of Reality
Reviewing Semiotics

Reading List

Recommended Text
**Bignell, Jonathan (1997) Media Semiotics: An Introduction Manchester: Manchester University Press Primo search **Chandler, Daniel (2002) Semiotics: The Basics London: Routledge Primo search **Cook, Guy (1992) The Discourse of Advertising London: Routledge Primo search **Fairclough, Norman (1995) Media Discourse London: Arnold Primo search **Thwaites, Tony, Lloyd Davis & Warwick Mules (1994) Tools for Cultural Studies: An Introduction South Melbourne: Macmillan Primo search Barthes, Roland (1977) Image-Music-Text London: Fontana Primo search Barthes, Roland (1987[1957]) Mythologies New York: Hill & Wang Primo search Danesi, Marcel (2002) Understanding Media Semiotics London: Arnold Primo search Hodge, Robert & Gunther Kress (1988) Social Semiotics Cambridge: Polity Primo search Jensen, Klaus Bruhn (1995) The Social Semiotics of Mass Communication London: Sage Primo search Kress, Gunther & Theo van Leeuwen (1996) Reading Images: The Grammar of Visual Design London: Routledge Primo search Langholz Leymore, Varda (1975) Hidden Myth: Structure and Symbolism in Advertising New York: Basic Books Primo search Metz, Christian (1974) Film Language: A Semiotics of the Cinema (trans. Michael Taylor) New York: Oxford University Press Primo search Myers, Greg (1999) Ad Worlds: Brands, Media, Audiences London: Arnold Primo search Williamson, Judith (1978) Decoding Advertisements London: Marion Boyars Primo search **Worth, Sol (1981) 'Studying Visual Communication' [www document] http://www.temple.edu/anthro/worth/svscom.html HERON document Bignell: 'Advertisements' Primo search HERON document Leiss, Kline & Jhally: 'Two Approaches to the Study of Advertisements' Primo search Semiotics for Beginners http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/S4B/ Essential Reading
Module website http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Modules/MC30820

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 6