Media analysis techniques/ Berger,Arthur Asa

PART 1. TECHNIQUES OF INTERPRETATION
1. Semiotic Analysis
A Brief History of the Subject 3
The Problem of Meaning 5
Social Aspects of Semiotics: The Individual and Society 6
Saussure on the Science of Semiology 7
Signs 8
Forms of Signs 11
Signs and Advertising 12
Material Culture 12
Objects and Identity 13
Activities and Performances 13
Music and Sound Effects 14
Signs and Truth 14
Facial Expressions as Signs 15
Hyperreality 16
Language and Speaking 17
Connotation and Denotation 18
The Synchronic and the Diachronic 20
Syntagmatic Analysis 22
Paradigmatic Analysis 27
Intertextuality 29
Dialogical Theory 30
Metaphor and Metonymy 31
Codes 32
Semiotics of the Television Medium 35
Some Criticisms of Semiotic Analysis 37
A Checklist for Semiotic Analysis of Television 37
Study Questions and Topics for Discussion 38
Annotated Bibliography 39
2. Marxist Analysis
Materialism 46
The Base and the Superstructure 48
False Consciousness and Ideology 49
The Frankfurt School 51
Class Conflict 52
Alienation 55
The Consumer Society 57
John Berger on Advertising 60
Bourgeois Fleroes 61
Hegemony 62
The Problem of Media Consolidation 65
The Danger of Being Doctrinaire 66
Grid-Group Analysis 68
Marxist Criticism in the Postmodern World 70
Study Questions and Topics for Discussion 71
Annotated Bibliography 71
3. Psychoanalytic Criticism
The Unconscious 75
Sexuality 78
William A. Rossi on Sexual Aspects of the Foot and Shoe 79
The Oedipus Complex 80
On the Importance of Myth 83
Id, Ego, and Superego 84
The Structural Hypothesis Applied to Culture 86
Symbols 87
Defense Mechanisms 89
Dreams 91
Condensation and Displacement 93
Aggression and Guilt 94
Stereotypes and Aggressive Humor 96
Freud and Beyond 97
Jungian Psychoanalytic Theory 98
Archetypes 98
The Collective Unconscious 98
The Myth of the Hero 99
The Shadow Element in the Psyche 99
The Anima and the Animus 100
Psychoanalytic Analysis of Media: A Cautionary Note 101
Study Questions and Topics for Discussion 102
Annotated Bibliography 102
4. Sociological Analysis
Emile Durkheim on Our Social Nature 108
Some Basic Concepts 110
Alienation 110
Anomie 110
Bureaucracy 111
Class (Socioeconomic) 111
Culture 112
Deviance 113
Elites 114
Ethnicity 114
Functionalism 114
Lifestyle 116
Marginalization 116
Mass Communication and Mass Media 117
Mass Society 117
Postmodernism 119
Race 120
Role (Social) 121
Sex (Gender) 122
Socialization 122
Status 124
Stereotypes 125
Values 125
Uses and Gratifications 126
Genres and Formulas 133
Content Analysis 135
Leo Lowenthal on Content Analysis 135
Study Questions and Topics for Discussion 138
Annotated Bibliography 139
PART II. APPLICATIONS
5. Murderers on the Orient Express
Organizing a Mystery 145
Detectives as Semioticians 147
Social and Political Dimensions 148
Poirot as Revolutionary 149
Study Questions and Topics for Discussion 151
6. Seven Points on the Game of Football
(And Some Interesting Statistics)
Football Is a Game of Signs 153
Instant Replay and the Modern Sensibility 154
Football Socializes Us 155
Statistics About Televised Football 157
Why Baseball Is Boring 158
Football as an Alternative to Religion 160
The Marxist Perspective 161
Football and the Psyche 162
Concluding Remarks 164
Study Questions and Topics for Discussion 165
7. The Maiden With the Snake:
Interpretations of a Print Advertisement
Signs in Signs: A Primer on Applied Semiotics 167
The Maiden in Paradise: A Case Study 169
A Paradigmatic Analysis of the Fidji Advertisement 174
Psychoanalytic Aspects of the Fidji Text 175
An Aside on Moisturizers and Anxiety 176
Final Comments on Perfume and Anxiety 177
Study Questions and Topics for Discussion 178
8. All-News Radio and the American Bourgeoisie
News and Alienation 181
News and Ruling-Class Ideology 183
Commercials and Anxiety 184
Caught in the Middle 184
News From Internet and Social Media 185
Study Questions and Topics for Discussion 186 .
9. Video Games: A New Art Form
Are Video Games an Art Form or a Medium? 192
New Technologies and Video Games 193
Janet Murray on Interactivity and Immersion 194
Video Games and Addiction 195
Video Games and the Problem of Violence 196
Social and Physical Problems Caused by Video Games 197
Video Games and Sexuality 198
Conclusions 199
Study Questions and Topics for Discussion 200
10. Cell Phones, Social Media, and the Problem of Identity
An Epiphany 202
Media Use by 8- to 18-Year-Olds 202
Social Media 204
A Psychoanalytic Perspective on Youth and Social Media 205
The Cell Phone as Sign: A Semiotic Perspective 208
Marxist Perspectives on Cell Phones 209
Conclusions 210
Study Questions and Topics for Discussion 211
Epilogue: Shmoos and Analysis
Study Questions and Topics for Discussion 214
Appendix: Simulations, Activities, Games, and Exercises
Anatomy of a Tale 217
Paradigmatic Analysis 218
A Levi-Straussian Analysis of Upstairs, Downstairs
Steps in Playing Levi-Strauss 219
Dream Analysis 220
Writing a Therapeutic Fairy Tale 220
Origin Tales 221
Radio Scripts 222
Television Narrative Analysis 222
The Propp Game 223
An Example 224
Metaphors 224
How to Play the Metaphor Game 225
Things to Consider 226 ^
Advertising Analysis 226
Playing Aaron Wildavsky 227
Textual Analysis 229
Semiotic Analysis 229
Marxist/Ideological Criticism 230
Psychoanalytic Criticism 230
Sociological Criticism 230