Semiotics

·         Study of the symbol

Signifier, Signified, Codes (and diagram)

Linguistic codes, Cultural Codes (and diagram)

Denotation, Connotation (and diagram)

Conventions

Books

Two forms of writing (ideogram & phonetic) and how differ as to signifier

-          Ideograms: form of symbol writing

o   signified is picture or symbol

-          Phonetic: words that imitate the spoken form

Surplus of Meaning and 3 strategies to narrow surplus (context, tone, intertext)

Polysemic character of words

 - many meanings

 - "surplus of meaning"

Strategies

- Context and circumstances

 - different situations means diff things

- Tone, posture and expression

 - irony tone is key

 - absent in terms of writing

-          writing is polysemic more than spoken

Surplus & Writing vs Oral

Book EPS w/ E1 and E2

from 4500 bp: very few ppl owned or read

   - luxury: cash

   - leisure: needed time to actually read needed to survive

   - literacy: capacity to decode language

   - 1456 emerging middle class could read

from 1830s

   - Economics

     - press powered by water or steam

     - paper became cheap

   - Political causes

     - Public education: educated citizens (1850s)

     - key moment of books

  - Book Industry

from

 - GI bill

   - literacy increased because of WWII

 - Leisure increased

 - Luxury increased: massive economic expansion

 - Book industry appealed to particular subcultures

A) The experience of reading (the individual)

 - decoding process is subconscious

 - highly individual and subjective

 - shaped and guided by particular audience it's made contact with

   - ex. Romance novels (home moms), science fiction (white males)

B) The Politics of reading (the society)

 1. Thomas Paine's Common Sense

   - 120,000 copies

   - transformed 13 colonies into one nation

 2. Fredrick Douglass's Narrative

   - no one really knew how bad salary life was

   - dramatizing the justice system

 3. Horatio Alger Stories

   - over 120 stories

   - rags to riches story (romantic plot)

   - positive spin: celebration of individuality

-          negative spin: justify inequality becuz it suggest rich deserves there wealth, if your poor its your own fault

The Politics of Science Fiction 

A) the Science Fiction

 - genre: classes of similar characteristics that 

B) The Political Significance of Science Fiction

 - Protecting futures

   - persuade someone in subtle ways

   - positive: peace and cooperation, end of racism, problems can be solved with technology

   - negative: cooperation dominate aspects of life, machines and computer turn against us, genetic determinism 

C) Conservative vs Liberal Ideologies view towards federal government role

 - ideologies: system of ideas and world views structure out beliefs and how we see the world

 - Conservative: skepticism towards govt, bad and intrusive force in lives

   - Ronald Regan didn't like govt

   - taxes, pro gun rights

   - trust individuals and market place; economy will function most effective, less taxes

   - goal: minimize govt interference, focuses on national security and defense

 - Liberal: govt has a positive role in solving collective problems

   - collective action problems: interstate system

   - govt provides safety net when economy goes south ex. Social security and food stamps

   - govt stimulate economy

   - regulate businesses

A) Elite Partisan Press

   - common ppl referred to their "betters"

   - Alien Act: crime to critic politics 

 - popular stage in 1865 w/ railroad network

 - needed to appeal to a larger audience

 - immediately into specialized stage

   - circulation waste 

- more efficient sending ads to specific communities

   - observe action from one point of view, perspective from seat

   - nickelodeon machine

   - adopted perspective of theater experience 

1903 Edwin PorterThe Great Train Robbery

     - filmed sences in different chunks

   - story board

     - film movie at diff times them put the together

   - camera work

     - makes camera disappear and make camera your eyes, illusion of naturalism

MOTION PICTURES & EPS CYCLE (UNUSUAL CASE)

·         Began in popular stage

·         For popular audiences

·         Cheap, more leisure time

·         1950s entered specialized stage

o   competed with TV

o   more elaborate camera work

·         heavily regulated

o   because of electromagnetic wave

o   ppl would jam each other signals

·         divided up spectrum in different places

·         Radio Act of 1927

·         Communication at of 1934 created FCC

·         Air waves are public property, govt regulates in our interest

C) CONTENT & REGULATION

·         once receiver in home cant choose every transmition

·         Captive Audience Doctrine

o   messages being sent into homes without consent

·         protect children

·         in elite stage till 1930

o   once radio was regulated first radio networks were created

o   cheaper to stay home and listen to radio

·         Specialized stage in 1950s

·         competition with TV

·         radio a primary for music talk and news

LIVE vs RECORDED MUSIC

                                    THE PROFESSIONALIZATION OF MUSIC

-          make it your self

-          19^th and 20^th century ppl played the piano

-          recorded music made a distinction between armatures and professionals

o   increase expectations for quality of music

: literary figure in with apparent meaning and actually meaning is opposite