Visual culture and semiotics. Selected issues 08-KUDU-MA-VCS

Discussed topics include:

What is visual culture?
What is visual semiotics?
Iconic signs – Ch. Peirce, Y. Lotman
Photographic message: R. Barthes
Semiotics of cinema: Y. Lotman
Semiotics of cinema: R. Barthes
The Pictorial turn – the ‘manifesto’ - WJT Mitchell
'What do pictures want?' - WJT Mitchell

Module learning aims

- Achieving knowledge and skills connected with the most important theories in visual culture studies and visual semiotics - Introducing basic terms, notions, methodologies and different orientations in visual semiotics

Information on where to find course materials

texts available during the classes or shared with students via e-mail

Major

Intercultural communication

Methods of teaching for learning outcomes achievement

Lecture including elements of tutorials and presentations, discussions, critical readings of texts

Course module conducted remotely (e-learning)

Student workload (ECTS credits)

4 ECTS points

Cycle of studies

2nd cycle

Module type

compulsory

Year of studies (where relevant)

Year 2

Pre-requisites in terms of knowledge, skills and social competences

proper language skills which enable reading and discussing academic texts in English

Course coordinators

Katarzyna Machtyl

Learning outcomes

Student is to know and understand some of the theories of culture which are used in the interdisciplinary discourses; needs to know the basic terminology and ideas oriented towards the analyses of the cultural processes and relations. Student is also able to describe (by using some proper methods of analyses and interpretation) the meaning of the social relations and cultural objects in both the synchronic and diachronic dimensions of culture. Student is also capable of developing his or her cultural and intercultural competencies; understands the complexity of various cultural traditions and intercultural relations; is able to form opinions and propose the solutions according to various social conflicts or cultural politics.

Assessment criteria

Assessment criteria: the grade will be based on presentation, attendance and activity during classes:

- attendance (maximum three unexcused absences)
- active participation in the course
- long spoken presentation: each participant is asked to prepare one spoken presentation of the chosen visual phenomenon presented in the view of visual semiotics

Practical placement

None

Bibliography

REFERENCES

D. Chandler, Semiotics – the basics (online – PDF)

R. Barthes, The Kitchen of Meaning, in: R. Barthes, The Semiotic Challenge, University of California Press, 1994

W.J.T. Mitchell, Showing seeing: a critique of visual culture, “Journal of Visual Culture” 2002 SAGE Publications (London, Thousand Oaks, CA and New Delhi), Vol 1(2): 165-181

M. Bal, N. Bryson, Semiotics and Art History, “The Art Bulletin”, Vol. 73, No. 2 (Jun., 1991) (passages)

R. Barthes, The Photographic Message, in: R. Barthes, Image Music Text, Fontana Press. An Imprint of Harper Collins Publishers 1997

Y. Lotman, Semiotics of cinema, University of Michigan, cop. 1976 (passages)

R. Barthes, The Third Meaning. Research notes on some Eisenstein stills, in: R. Barthes, Image Music Text, Fontana Press. An Imprint of Harper Collins Publishers 1997

W.J.T. Mitchell, The Pictorial turn, in: Picture Theory. Essays on Verbal and Visual Representation, The University of Chicago Press, Chicago 1994

W.J.T. Mitchell: What do pictures want? The Lives and Loves of Images, The University of Chicago Press, Chicago 2005 (passages)

Additional information

Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system:

Description of 08-KUDU-MA-VCS in USOSweb