Thana Al Zoghaiby

Semiotics Semiotics 11Università Università delladella Svizzera Svizzera italianaitaliana

Winter seminar ; 2003 - 2004Winter seminar ; 2003 - 2004

Different cultureDifferent culture

Different sign perception

Thanà Al Zoghaiby

ThemThemee

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In a world as complex as ours, each In a world as complex as ours, each of us is shaped by many factors. of us is shaped by many factors.

culture is one of the powerful forces culture is one of the powerful forces that acts on usthat acts on us. .

Thesis

Anthropologists Kevin Avruch and Peter Black Anthropologists Kevin Avruch and Peter Black explain the importance of culture this way:explain the importance of culture this way:

One's own culture provides the "lens" through which we view the world; the "logic"... by which we order it; the

"grammar" ... by which it makes sense.

In other words, culture is central to what we see, how we make sense of what we see, and how we

express ourselves

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Introduction

Humans, like most animals, are able to communicate verbally and non-verbally.

Humans use language in verbal communication and signs, symbols, sound or paralinguistic means to communicate a message.

However, humans, unlike animals, have cultural identities.

The semiosis (sign processing) takes place within this cultural orientation

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TheThe framewoframewo

rkrk

The sign. This entails the study of the various types of signs, and the different ways they have of conveying meaning, and the way they relate to the people who use them.

That to which the sign refers. In other words, the codes or systems into which signs are organised. This includes the ways that various codes have developed to meet the needs of a society or culture, or to exploit the channels of communication available for their transmission.

The users of the sign. In other words, the culture within which these codes and signs operate.

can be summarised into the can be summarised into the following three fields of following three fields of

study study

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Semiotics-ArbitrarinessSemiotics-Arbitrariness of of signsign

Saussure stressed the ‘arbitrariness of Saussure stressed the ‘arbitrariness of sign as the principle of semiologysign as the principle of semiology

Why ? Do we use the sequence of sound “sister” to mean female sibling

We could just as well use

‘soeur’ French ‘schwester’ German ‘ukht’ Arabic Thana Al Zoghaiby

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Saussure saw language as being an ordered Saussure saw language as being an ordered system of signs whose meanings are arrived system of signs whose meanings are arrived

at at arbitrarilyarbitrarily

Example There is no necessary reason why a pig should be called a pig . It doesn't

look sound or smell any more like the sequence of sounds 'p-i-g‘. It is only because we in our language group agree that it is called a 'pig'

that that sequence of sounds refers to the animal in the real world . You and your circle of friends could agree always to refer to pigs as

'squerdlishes' if you want.

As long as there is general agreement, that's no problem

until you start talking about 'squerdlishes' to people who don't share the same convention.

by a cultural convention

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Types of signs Types of signs and meaningand meaning

The primary function of signs is to create or generate meaning.

A specific sign will generate different meanings depending on the culture in which it takes place.

A sign can create multiple meanings or a single one; the relationship between signs can generate a different set of meanings; a sign is active and always generates some meaning.

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CONNOTATION CONNOTATION AND AND

DENOTATIONDENOTATION

The primary function of signs, namely to generate meaning, has been discussed but now the levels of meaning (or signification) have to be investigated.

One can distinguish between denotation (what a sign stands for)

and connotation (a sign’s cultural associations).

LEVELS OF LEVELS OF MEANINGMEANING

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DenotationDenotation

It can be said that denotation refers to "first order" of signification generated by the relationship between the signifier and the signified within the sign .

Or the initial, common-sense and obvious meaning of the sign (Fiske 1982: 91).

According to Roland Barthes (cited in Fiske 1982: 91) the referents of the sign have their referents in the external reality.

Common sense, suggests Common sense, suggests Barthes, is deeply Barthes, is deeply

ideological.ideological.

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Connotation refers to the "second Connotation refers to the "second order" of signification. Hall (cited in order" of signification. Hall (cited in

Chandler: WWW) sees this as the Chandler: WWW) sees this as the associative meaning, since it associative meaning, since it

describes the interaction that occurs describes the interaction that occurs when a sign meets the feelings or when a sign meets the feelings or

emotions of the users and the value emotions of the users and the value of their culture.of their culture. Connotation describes the interaction that takes place Connotation describes the interaction that takes place

when the sign meets the emotions of the user and the when the sign meets the emotions of the user and the values of his culture. Connotation is directly related to values of his culture. Connotation is directly related to the inner reality of the user/receiver and is thus highly the inner reality of the user/receiver and is thus highly subjective. subjective.

This is when meanings move towards the subjective, or This is when meanings move towards the subjective, or at least the inter-subjective: it is when the interpretant at least the inter-subjective: it is when the interpretant is influenced as much by the interpreter as by the object is influenced as much by the interpreter as by the object or the sign. or the sign.

Connotation involves emotional overtones, Connotation involves emotional overtones, subjective interpretation, subjective interpretation, socio-cultural values socio-cultural values and ideological assumptionsand ideological assumptions (Chandler: WWW). (Chandler: WWW).

ConnotConnotationation

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SignsSigns

Is of the opinion that semiotics is the pivotal science of Is of the opinion that semiotics is the pivotal science of communication. Communication is concerned with the communication. Communication is concerned with the formulation and encoding of messages by senders; formulation and encoding of messages by senders;

these messages are then transmitted via mediums.these messages are then transmitted via mediums.

The "decoding and interpretation of these messages by The "decoding and interpretation of these messages by destinations and their signification". destinations and their signification".

The communication process (and semiosis too) takes The communication process (and semiosis too) takes place within a context that affects its receivers, and in place within a context that affects its receivers, and in turn is affected by its context. turn is affected by its context.

generate meaning individually and as generate meaning individually and as a structured whole in a specific a structured whole in a specific context. As indicated, there are context. As indicated, there are

different types of signs that, as a different types of signs that, as a result, can create different types of result, can create different types of

messages in the communication messages in the communication process. process.

Roman Roman JakobsonJakobson

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which are governed by which are governed by rules or conventionsrules or conventions

that are that are agreed agreed upon by all the members of the upon by all the members of the community who use that codecommunity who use that code (Fiske 1982: 68). (Fiske 1982: 68).

These rules These rules represent a social dimension:represent a social dimension: the the code is a set of practices familiar to the users of code is a set of practices familiar to the users of the medium operating within athe medium operating within a

cultural frameworkcultural framework..

CODES AND SYSTEMS INTO WHICH CODES AND SYSTEMS INTO WHICH SIGNS ARE ORGANISEDSIGNS ARE ORGANISED

Semioticians organiseSemioticians organise signs into systemssigns into systems..

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CultCultureure

Codes are dynamic systems that change all the time and are therefore historically and socio-culturally influenced. Due to the fact that codes and culture inter-relate dynamically

Members of a specific culture will understand the codes that operate within that culture.

Cultural communities may correspond with country frontiers; cultural differences do exist between countries.

is a concept that is broad – it includes aspects of everyday life to cognitive and social structures - and complex. For this reason it is linked to the concept of socialisation. In this broad sense,

culture then refers to communities which have different attitudes towards political and social

issues, different cultural practices and references in their private lives, different social

background, etc.

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Semiotics Semiotics and and

cultureculture

Since it is the case that the codes we use are the result Since it is the case that the codes we use are the result of conventions arrived at by the of conventions arrived at by the users of those codesusers of those codes, ,

then it is reasonable to suppose that the then it is reasonable to suppose that the values of the values of the usersusers will in some way be incorporated into those codes. will in some way be incorporated into those codes.

They will, for example, have developed signs for those They will, for example, have developed signs for those things they agree to be important, they will probably things they agree to be important, they will probably have developed a whole array of signs to draw the have developed a whole array of signs to draw the distinctions between those things which are of distinctions between those things which are of particular significance in their cultureparticular significance in their culture..

Saussure freely admits that when he is stressing the arbitrariness of the

sign, he is stressing something which is actually fairly obvious. As he sees

it, though, the problem is that people haven't paid enough attention to the

implications of the fact that sign-systems are arbitrary.

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In other In other

wordswords

......'reality' is always encoded,'reality' is always encoded, or rather or rather the only way we can perceive and make sense of the only way we can perceive and make sense of

reality is by thereality is by the codes of our culturecodes of our culture. .

There may be an objective, empiricist reality out there, but There may be an objective, empiricist reality out there, but there is no universal, objective way of perceiving and there is no universal, objective way of perceiving and making sense of it. making sense of it.

What passes for reality in any culture is the product of the What passes for reality in any culture is the product of the culture's codesculture's codes, so 'reality' is always already encoded, it is , so 'reality' is always already encoded, it is never 'raw'. Fiske (1987pp 4-5)never 'raw'. Fiske (1987pp 4-5)

you might reasonably expect that the ideologies prevalent

in those cultures will have been incorporated into the

codes used

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Culture Culture

CodesCodes

The existence of such The existence of such codes codes in relation to the interpretation of in relation to the interpretation of textstexts is more obvious when we examine texts which have is more obvious when we examine texts which have beenbeen produced within and for a different culture,produced within and for a different culture,

… … such as advertisements produced indigenously in a such as advertisements produced indigenously in a different country from our own for the domestic market in different country from our own for the domestic market in that country. that country.

Interpreting such texts in the manner intended may Interpreting such texts in the manner intended may require 'cultural competency' relevant to the specific require 'cultural competency' relevant to the specific cultural context of that text's production, even where the cultural context of that text's production, even where the text is largely visual (Scott 1994a; Scott 1994b; McQuarrie & text is largely visual (Scott 1994a; Scott 1994b; McQuarrie & Mick, 1999).Mick, 1999).

Learning these codes involves adopting the values, assumptions and 'world-views' which are built into them without normally

being aware of their intervention in the construction of reality.

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SociologiSociologists sts

generallygenerally

prefer the term 'reader' to 'receiver' (even of a painting, photograph or film)

and often use the term 'text' to 'message'. This implies that receiving a

message (i.e. 'reading a text') is an active process of decoding and that that process

is socially and culturally conditioned Understanding such codesUnderstanding such codes Their relationships Their relationships The contexts in which they are appropriate The contexts in which they are appropriate

is part of what it means to be a member of a particular is part of what it means to be a member of a particular culture.culture.

Marcel Danesi has suggested that 'a culture can be defined as Marcel Danesi has suggested that 'a culture can be defined as a kind of "macro-code", consisting of the numerous codes a kind of "macro-code", consisting of the numerous codes which a group of individuals habitually use to interpret which a group of individuals habitually use to interpret

reality' reality' (Danesi 1994a, 18)(Danesi 1994a, 18) . . Thana Al Zoghaiby

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ConcluConclusionsion

Oftentimes, we aren't aware that culture is acting upon us. Sometimes, we are not even aware that we have cultural values or assumptions that are different from others!

When dealing with vastly differing cultures Moral issues and values in one culture (say the source

text culture) could have an adverse or no effect on the “other culture” receivers, and could lead to a conflict of values, which in turn will influence the message ( text) and its perception.

cultural values sometimes conflict. We can misunderstand each other, and

react in ways that can hinder what are otherwise promising partnerships.

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AnthropologiAnthropologists Avruch sts Avruch and Black and Black

have notedhave noted This tendency, if indulged, gives rise on the individual

level to prejudice.

If this propensity is either consciously or unconsciously integrated into organizational structures,

Then prejudice takes root in our institutions -- in the structures, laws, policies, and procedures that shape our lives.

Consequently, it is vital that we learn to control the human tendency to translate "different from me" into "less than me”, “weird”, “wrong” or “frightening”

when faced by an interaction that when faced by an interaction that we do not understand “again we do not understand “again

because of differences in cultural because of differences in cultural identities” , people tend to identities” , people tend to

interpret the others involved as interpret the others involved as "abnormal," "weird," or "wrong.""abnormal," "weird," or "wrong."

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Last Last but but not not

leastleast

Learning about different ways that people communicate can Learning about different ways that people communicate can enrich our lives. enrich our lives.

People's different communication styles reflect deeper People's different communication styles reflect deeper philosophies and “world views" which are the foundation of philosophies and “world views" which are the foundation of their culturetheir culture. .

Understanding these deeper philosophies gives us a broader Understanding these deeper philosophies gives us a broader picture of what the world has to offer us.picture of what the world has to offer us.

people from people from different culturesdifferent cultures should should not assume that not assume that breakdowns in breakdowns in

communicationcommunication occur because of “the occur because of “the others” are on the wrong track. others” are on the wrong track.

But it is because of different cultural But it is because of different cultural values and the fact that “values and the fact that “codes and codes and

culture are inter-relate dynamically.culture are inter-relate dynamically.

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Becoming more aware of Becoming more aware of our cultural differences, our cultural differences, as well as exploring our as well as exploring our similarities, can help us similarities, can help us communicate with each communicate with each other more effectively.other more effectively.

Recognizing where Recognizing where “cultural “cultural

differences are” is differences are” is the first step the first step

toward toward understanding and understanding and

respecting each respecting each other.other.

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