29492 - Social-Semiotic Analysis of Fashion (LM)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student will be capable to apply the method of semiotics in the field of fashion, by using advanced theoretical tools to analyse texts and practices, in particular in the frame of consumption behaviour.

Course contents

Learning outcomes

The course is divided into two parts.

The first aims at extending the fundamental notions of Semiotics to the field of Fashion, providing the students with the tools for the analysis of texts, in particular commercial ones.

The second, organized as a workshop, aims at providing the participants with the competences for semiotic analysis and its use in the metaproject and project activity.

 

Course contents

First Part

Introduction – What is Semiotics?

The sense of the world, the world of the sense

Semiotics and Fashion

 

Sensation and perception

How sensations work

Feedback

The organization of sensations

Difference between sensation and perception: the sense

Perception and Fashion

 

Principles of semiotics

The world of sense

What is sense?

Biplanar semiotics

Triadic semiotics

Comparison of the two theories

The relations between signs

Code – Syntax, Semantics and Pragmatics

The text

Generative Semiotics – Interpretive Semiotics

Text, Discourse and Context

Semiotics – Sociosemiotics

 

The analysis of text

Principles of semiotic analysis of marketing texts.

 

Second Part

The culture of project

Metaproject and project

Semiotics of projectual action

Application of the metaproject approach to a brief proposed and discussed in class.

Readings/Bibliography

1. Proni, Giampaolo, Dispense di semiotica, published at the URL http://www.gproni.org/dispense_poli/indexske.htm (please ask the teacher for access password).

2. Pozzato, Maria Pia, Semiotica del testo, Carocci, Roma, 2001 (Except for Chapt.s 13, 14, 20, 22, 23).

3. Traini, Stefano, Le due vie della semiotica. Teorie strutturali e interpretative, Milano, Bompiani, 2006 (except for chapt. 8)

4. Deni, Michela e Proni, Giampaolo, a cura di, La semiotica e il progetto. Design, comunicazione, marketing.

5. Munari, Bruno, Fantasia, Bari, Laterza, 1977

6. Sterling, Bruce, La forma del futuro, Milano, Apogeo, 2006 (the text can be read in the original edition: Shaping Things, Cambridge (MA), MIT Press, 2005)

Teaching methods

The course includes classes, workshops, lectures and class discussions. Reciprocal teaching and a learning-by-doing approach are used in the workshop.

A Moodle e_learning platform will be used for teaching.

Subscription to the platform and its use are required to follow the course and to be admitted to the exam, both for attending and non-attending students. Instructions are available at http://www.gproni.org/uni_home.htm

Please ask for the password to enter the reserved pages to the teacher during classes or at his address giampaolo.proni@unibo.it

Further reading will be distributed by the e-learning platform.

Recording of the grades will take place after the exams. Extra sessions might be scheduled.

Assessment methods

Attending Students

To be considered as an attending student at least 70% of classes are required.

An examination will be held for each of the two parts of the course. The final grade is the sum of the two marks.

Attendance to the first part and participation to the first examination are required to be admitted to the second part as an attending student.

Examination for the first part: written test (multiple choice and open answer test).

The test is based on texts 1, 2 and 3 and on what is presented in classes. The exam will be taken on the Moodle e_learning platform in the Computer room.

Examination on the second part: presentation of a work based on the workshop. There will be no additional assessment for the workshop. To enter the final assessment active participation in the group work is required.

 

Not attending students

First Part: written exam in class with multiple choice test and open questions on the six texts listed as recommended reading. The exam will be taken on the moodle e_learning platform in the Computer room.

Second part: submission of a paper. Please contact the teacher by e_mail for the topic of the paper.

Teaching tools

Videoprojector
Internet connection

Links to further information

http://www.scmoda.lettere.unibo.it/home.html

Office hours

See the website of Giampaolo Proni