Social Semiotics of Moms and Babies

Hello Classmates! This week we are learning about social semiotics which is the study of signs and symbols within their cultural context. Social semiotics was developed by linguist Michael Halliday and expanded upon by Gunther Kress. There is a role of social context in the interpretation of signs and symbols. The background meaning is influenced viewers social and cultural background. The context affects how signs and symbols are perceived. The audience demographics are key when analyzing the context of the signs and symbols.

What are the rules associated with social semiotics?

Vertically we have the top and bottom of the image. The top of the image symbolizes ideal, aspirations, and/or what is imagined or desired. The bottom of the image symbolizes reality, facts, and/or what is known. Horizontally we have the left and right of the image. The left symbolizes known and/or given information. The right symbolizes new and/or unknown information.

There are additional rules related to the composition of the image whether it is symmetrical, asymmetrical, composed of bright or dark colors.

Now, let’s analyze some images together.

The top of the image shows a beautiful far off horizon possibly symbolizing the future of this mother daughter dyad. The bottom of the image is full of grass and very grounding representing the season of life they are in currently. The left of the image is full of mountains and the right shows the hill they are on coming to a peak. This image is asymmetrical which represents chaos possibly the chaos of having a young child. There are both bright and subdued colors representing the mixture of feelings that goes along with motherhood. 

This image is really interesting because the lighting not only highlights the baby but also focuses in on the doctor which is a part of the top of the image meaning that the doctor is the ideal instead of the mother. The bottom of the image contains the mother meaning that she is grounded in reality. The lighting is dark over the mother, father, and nurse, and bright over the baby and doctor possibly symbolizing new life.

https://www.vecteezy.com/photo/17660758-mom-and-little-daughter-traveling-in-the-mountains

Crusius, T., & Channell, C. (2016). The aims of argument: A text and reader (8th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.