Tuesday, October 2, 2007
A Statement on Saussure
"Signs function not through their intrinsic value but through their relative position" (39)
A sign, according to Saussure, is a combination of a signifier and signified. The concept is the signfied, and the sound image is the signifier. The relationship between the two is arbitrary. Therefore, if the relationship is arbitrary, Saussure would claim that sings are arbitrary.
Meaning and value comes from the individual, or group. Meaning and value also comes from their relative position, meaning, one sign's relationship and comparison to other signs. This is shown through defining words through their opposites. To define "female," "male" must be taken into consideration. This also applies to how signs recieve their meaning. "Evil" is defined and recieves meaning through its opposite, "good."
Language operates on a linear sequence, meaning, words follow one another one by one. Because they function on a line, they are all connected to one another. Therefore, their value is only seen when words are put in relation to one another. In our Barry book, he used the example of the word "hut." "Hut" gains value when it is placed next to other words such as "shed," "palace," and "mansion." The word "hut's" relation to these other words, who have similiar attributes, allows it to recieve its value.
If I am on the right page here, Saussure would then claim that the value of the signs comes from how they are used as a whole within a community. Also, value is NOT to be confused with significance. This part of the lesson somewhat confused me. I had a very difficult time catching on to how significance and value are different, but I think it is this: Significance is the meaning between the signified and the signfier. BUT...VALUE is the relationship between the signs in the whole signified/signifier as a whole....is this right?
I enjoy Structuralism A LOT more than Marxism. I feel like I have a good understanding of the basic foundation of its theory. I hope I am correct in this assumption.
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2 comments:
I had a little trouble trying to differentiate value from signification. I read Paul Thibault's, "Re-reading Saussure; The Dynamics of Signs in Social Life." He suggests, that value is the functioning principle. He goes on to say, that the value is "the contextualizing principle-which enables a given combination of signifier and signified to arise" (235). Hope that helps.
I too enjoyed Structuralism better than Marxism. I think you seem to have a handle on what Saussure is saying. I like that you used the binary opposites in your explaination, I forgot all about them. It's true though, you do need to use "male" to define "female." I think Structuralism does seem to be pretty understandable, I just hope Poststructuralism won't throw us both through a loop. Good luck!
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