Tag Archives: Semiotic Square

semiotics of ageing May 10

The Semiotics of Ageing in Advertising: Our changing discussion on age

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How we think about age is partially constructed by the way that advertising communicates themes, values and behaviour. By looking at some of the metaphors about ageing used in different socio-cultural contexts, this provides a frame for developing a semiotic map of the meaning in age related advertising. It also raises considerations for how society will ‘talk’ about age, in an area of science and medicine that is taking larger strides every year.

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Scales of Lady Justice December 13

Is Popular Culture influencing our perception of Justice?

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Much of 2014 has been dominated by stories of Justice, Law and Injustice. If popular culture is a reflection of society and culture, what do the changing storylines of law-and-crime suggest about how we feel about Justice? Do these stories influence the way that we see our own societies? This can be illustrated by looking at the structures of some of the more successful film and TV shows.

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food semiotics October 08

The Semiotics of Cutlery: Eating food symbolically off course.

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Hunger is a universal physiological drive but we also take great delight in eating. While cuisines and cooking is astonishingly diverse, cutlery has remained remarkably elementary. While we need to eat, food more broadly is used across individual, social and cultural dimensions to build, share and demarcate our identities. How and what meaning cutlery adds to this semiotic conversation is worth degustation. Cut, Stab and Scoop are how we eat, but what meaning is within these gestures?

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Culture Decanted September 13

Cradle to Coffin: A Semiotic Model of Life and Death

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There is nothing that influences human behavour as strongly as the power of life and death. It is possible to create a semiotic model that conceptualize how we create meaning on the journey from the womb to the grave.

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birdcage August 27

Semiotics of the Birdcage

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A semiotic analysis of the birdcage as a cultural status symbol. Why is this symbol used so consistently by luxury and fashion brands? What is the history of the birdcage through to today? What are the psychological drivers that influence the engagement with the birdcage in society today? Since the birdcage is linked with fashion, what does this suggest about women and how they are framed in societal discourse?

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