KINE 1000 Chapter Notes - Chapter 6: Intertextuality, Beach Ball, Connotation
4 Jul 2018
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Media Representation
What is the authors’ overall purpose in the sport and representation reading?
Purpose is to show the reader how images have the power to reproduce dominant beliefs
in society, using as their example a time magazine cover image of water polo star Waneek
horn-miller.
The authors point out that “… sport functions as a form of cultural representation that
influences our perception of society” What does it mean to stat that sport functions as a
representation?
A ‘representation is a sign
A sign consists of a signifier, which stands for or means something, a signified(the
meaning or message meant by the signifier), and a code that connects the two.
Sport consists of signifiers that lead our minds to meanings and messages (not always on
a conscious level) about people and how the world works via cultural codes that we know
and use to “read” sport.
These meaning and messages are often dichotomous stereotypes that favour dominant
groups.
Sport helps socially construct our understanding of the world in a way that favours
dominant groups and the status quo (the way things are)
The authors use three concepts from semiotic theory: 1) context; 2) denotation and
connotation and 3) inter-textuality to show how meanings of an image are determined.
Explain these three concepts without reference to specific example.
Context: the image always has many meanings. An image can be interpreted in ways not
intended by its author. To help give the intended meaning the image will be often
accompanied with a caption or other images, which form a context to that helps influence
the viewer to interpret the image in the intended way.
Denotation and connotation: a signifier leads the mind to an obvious meaning (what is
signified). This is the level of denotation. But the sign (signifier and signified) can
function as a message that our minds are led to via a cultural code that we follow. This is
the level of connotation.
Inter-textuality: The connotative meaning of a representation is partly determined for us
by it being connected in our minds to other representations that we have encountered.
According to the authors, how context, denotation/connotation and inter-textuality help
determine meanings and messages of the Waneek Horn-Miller image?
Context: the time magazine cover title “time”, the “Will to Win” caption, the Olympic
symbol of the interlocking rings and maple leaf background provide context for the image
that tells us we can interpret the image as a photo of a star Canadian Olympic athlete.
Denotation and Connotation: at the denotative level the image is of a nude female
Olympic athlete holding a beach ball in front of her chest in a passive pose, with a
determined expression on her face and a feather in her hair. Connotative level tells a story
that benefits dominant groups in society while helping to limit the power of subordinate
groups to which she belongs. Also the feather in her hair leads us to interpret her as a
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Document Summary
Purpose is to show the reader how images have the power to reproduce dominant beliefs in society, using as their example a time magazine cover image of water polo star waneek horn-miller. A sign consists of a signifier, which stands for or means something, a signified(the meaning or message meant by the signifier), and a code that connects the two. Sport consists of signifiers that lead our minds to meanings and messages (not always on a conscious level) about people and how the world works via cultural codes that we know and use to read sport. These meaning and messages are often dichotomous stereotypes that favour dominant groups. Sport helps socially construct our understanding of the world in a way that favours dominant groups and the status quo (the way things are) The authors use three concepts from semiotic theory: 1) context; 2) denotation and connotation and 3) inter-textuality to show how meanings of an image are determined.
