Semiotic Approach In terms of the semiotic approach, candidates should be familiar with such aspects as: - Saussures´s notion of the composistion of the sign (signifier and signified) - The nature of signs and how they signify (as icon, as index and as symbol) - What codes are and how they operate - Barthes´ theory of levels of signification whereby signs are said to communicate on three levels: denotation, connotation and ideology - Barthes´ concept of myth - Anchorage and relay as mechanisms whereby meaning is assigned in communication - The concept of the paradigm as the collection of signs from which a number of signs are chosen; these chosen signs are then ordered or sequenced to become a syntagm. In the case of the semiotic tradition, the meaning of the text is contingent and candidates will be expected to comment on factors which may contribute to different and contrasting readings of the same text. At this level, sophisticated deconstruction is not expected, but candidates should be able to apply the basic tools of semiotic analysis listed above. Skills A programme of study appropriate to the demands of this module will be based around a series of practical exercises which develop conceptual understanding at increasing levels of sophistication through the application of analytical techniques. Texts for study should be print-based, ideally combining visual and verbal elements. The range of material suitable for case study includes: leaflets; flyers; brochures; magazines; newspapers; advertisements; posters; book jackets; CD covers; web sites; scripts; storyboards; postcards; greeting cards; packaging materials;. At the end of this module, candidates should be able to demonstrate proficiency in the analysis of text within both the process and the semiotic traditions. In addition, candidates should be able to identify the codes, conventions and standard industrial practices associated with the text under consideration. This will include, for example, the skills necessary to make informed comment on the use of colour, typography, elements of design and layout, and the cropping and manipulation of photographs. More advanced exercises should allow candidates to proceed from descriptive levels of analysis to those which encourage comparative and evaluative comment. Candidates should be conversant with debates about representations of class, ethnicity, gender, ability and age. Process School Candidates must also be able to achieve an understanding of critical reading techniques by studying the process approach to the study of communication texts, and contrasting it with the semiotic approach. Candidates are required to draw upon the following aspects of textual analysis: - the nature and implications of representation - attitudes towards interested representations such as stereotypes - genre and its functions within communication texts - knowledge of the conventions of common forms of print-based media (detailed below) - narrative codes and their use within print-based artefacts - mode of address e.g. formal/informal, direct/indirect. Process Approach In terms of the process approach, candidates should be familiar with such aspects as: - the strengths and limitations of linear models - the status and authority of senders - the nature and composition of messages - the function and role of receivers - the forms and functions of feedback - the different kinds of barriers to communication (mechanical, psychological, semantic, organisational) - the use of different registers in print-based texts. In the case of the process tradition, the text will be considered principally in terms of its measurable success in achieving pre-determined outcomes. Here, the form of the text is considered from the point of view of the sender´s intention and the targeted audience´s need. MISBOURNE COMMUNICATION STUDIES SITE