Week 10 : Visual Communication Online & Social Semiotics

                                                   Social Semiotics

Social Semiotics is a theory of communication that seeks to understand and analyze how individuals communicate by a variety of rules and methods in particular social settings. It has been strongly influenced by the theories and work of Michael Halliday and the work of Robert Hodge and Gunther Kress. An essential element of the social semiotic theory is the principle that modes of communication offer historically specific and socially and culturally shared opinions for communicating (Mavers and Machin).

Social Semiotics is an important communication theory that has a focus on visual design, the theory "examines texts concerning socially created networks of options that have meaningful potential realized in the context of use, that serves the ideological interest and that is framed by relations of power" (Mavers and Machin). Social Semiotics can also be defined as "derived from the greek 'semeion' - 'sign' - the smallest unit of meaning as a combination of form and meaning, in and through signs made in different modes, the meaning becomes evident - visible, tangible, audible: available for semiotic work and sensory engagement" (Gualberto & Kress, 2018). 

Some rules included in this Methodology 

Defined by Indro Moerdisuroso: "System of value information is a placement of elements in image zones that reflect values of specific information" 

Left: based on the habit of writing, means that the left side is an area of written information, that already happened, oriented to the past, certain things called given. 

Right: the right area is a place to be inscribed, expected to occur, oriented to the future, uncertain things called new. 

Topside: reflects ideal things, ideals, and aspirations. 

Bottom side: close to reality, grounded, practicality, and concrete. 

Center-edge: related to the social aspect, the center area reflects a source or mediator of the edges of marginal 

System of Salience: The arrangement of elements in the 'drawn participants' made to guide the attention of viewers in different degrees (placement in the foreground, background, sizes, contrast tonal values or colors, etc..) 

In this photo, you can see how the images of the left show the past and the memories this couple held together and as you move towards the middle it is the peak of the relationship and the right was the future they envisioned for themselves and they had together. There is symbolism in the growth of the tree along with the growth of their relationship. The top shows their ideals and aspirations as the growth of the tree and the bottom side of the image shows the reality of their relationship and how their love was eternal until death. they began together and ended together as they were buried side by side having their tree watch over them for eternity in the roots of their relationship and the roots of the tree itself. 

This image is symbolic as there is chaos in the background as there is a fire and shows human compassion as the firefighter and dog in the foreground are playing. The dog is rescued and understands that there is a fire but there is a symbolic emphasis on human-animal connection and compassion. the background is dull and more muted and the large emphasis is on the size and salience of the image and contrasting darkness of the interaction between the firefighter and the dog. 

Key References Mentioned 

PDF: Social Semiotics and Visual Grammar 

https://multimodalityglossary.wordpress.com/social-semiotics/

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Clarice-Gualberto/publication/325764226_Social_Semiotics/links/5b229735a6fdcc69746119b9/Social-Semiotics.pdf

Halliday, M.A.K. (1978)

Language as Social Semiotic: The Social Interpretation of Language and Meaning
London: Edward Arnold

Hodge, R. and Kress, G. (1998)
Social Semiotics
Cambridge: Polity Press