Theoretical Claims That Explain the Meaning of Something - Literature review Example

Thought Paper There was a point in life when humans never knew how things worked out. This was in the old days beforefamous scholar such as Charles Darwin started to come up with their theoretical claims that explain the meaning of something (Hoffmann 58). A theory is basically something that describes how some aspect of performance or human behavior is organized. These scholars, also referred to as theorists, wanted to enable people to make predictions about such behavior. Theories can be used to explain phenomenon. They offer concepts to identify what we have observed, as well as clarify relationships between concepts. This allows us to clarify what we see and to ponder on how to cause change. Theories enable humans to discern problems and plan a way of altering this situation (Hoffmann 58). Theories are normally revised as fresh knowledge is uncovered through research. Theories must be speculative in their attempts to clarify what is taking place. They must also be descriptive meaning that they should gathers descriptive information so as to describe what is taking place (Hoffmann 59). Finally, they should be constructive meaning that they revised old theories and develop fresh ones founded on continuing research (Hoffmann 59). Some of the major theorists include Charles Darwin, who theorized how humans evolved from monkeys to what we are today, Martha Rosler, who revolutionized the semiotics theory, Roland Barthes and Tom Junods among others. This paper will relate a piece of art work, Martha Rosler’s, Semiotics of the Kitchen, to two different readings, that is, Roland Barthes’, Myth Today and Tom Junod’s, The Falling Man. Semiotics of the Kitchen Semiotics of the Kitchen refers to as feminist parody video, as well as a performance piece, by the famous American female artist, Martha Rosler (PAA 1). Rosler’s work is focused on day to day life plus the public sphere, normally with an eye to females’ experiences. Recurrent concerns are warfare and the media, in addition to the built environment and architecture, from homelessness and housing to systems of transport (Hoffmann 54). Her works have been extensively significant. She has taught widely nationally and globally and has lectured media and photography, as well as video and photo history plus critical studies concerning the topic, at Rutgers University, where she was a senior lecturer for 30 years, and also at Städelschule, Germany. The semiotics video, which runs for approximately minutes, is regarded as a critique of the commodified accounts of customary females’ roles in today’s society. Featuring the artist herself as a cooking show host, the camera records as she showcases a variety of kitchen hand utensils, most of them strange or outdated, and, after identification, demonstrates unproductive, at times, aggressive, uses for each (PAA 1). The video a huge static camera plus a plain set, permitting viewers to center more on the artist’s performance and adding an ancient quality. Word by word, Rosler analyzes a cooking lexicon, utilizing a different kitchen tool for every step along the path (PAA 1). The linguistics and words focus is significant, because Rosler wanted the video to confront the set system of daily kitchen meanings -- the firmly comprehended signs of food production and domestic industry (PAA 1). Roland Barthes, Myth Today Myth Today, on the other hand is a theoretical analysis of Roland Barthes program for myth study (Barthes 106). What the author cites as "myth" is, in reality, the manner in which a culture denotes and offers meaning to the phrases around it. According to the author, a myth can be anything, and he tracks this approach all through the cases in Mythologies. Roland Barthes was a French mythical theorist, linguist, semiotician, philosopher, and critic. His ideas looked at a diverse range of fields and he influenced the development of schools of theory including semiotics, structuralism, design theory, social theory, anthropology, as well as post-structuralism. Barthes claimed that since myth is a form of speech, then everything can, as well be claimed to be a myth so long as it is expressed by a discourse (Barthes 109). He claims that myths are not explained by the object of their message, but by the manner in which they articulate their messages (Barthes 109). The second-order semiological system by Barthes implies a sign, specifically the associative entirety of a concept, as well as an image, in the first system, that as became only a signifier in the second (Barthes 114). One of the oddities of myth comprehended like in this manner is that it is not just built from a semiological chain, it aids to such chains of meaning, wherein a meaning at one point of the chain is emptied, or hollowed in, in another stage so that it may be twisted to function as a signifier of another system. Tom Junod, The Falling Man The Falling Man by Tom Junod is the story behind one picture from September 11 attacks, which struck such a raw and frightening nerve that it was almost at once banished from the eyes of the public (Junod 1). The subject matter of the picture, whose identity still remains uncertain, was one of the citizens trapped on the upper part of the skyscraper of the Twin Tower building, who either jumped to escape the smoke and fire or fell looking for safety (Junod 1). Junod is an American columnist and the recipient of two American Society of Magazine Editors’ Magazine Awards nationwide, the best celebrated award in magazine writing. Junod has careered as a columnist for Esquire Magazine as from 1997 and has written some of the most acknowledged pieces in American writing such as The Falling Man. In the image, the man departs from the earth like an arrow. Even though, he has not selected, he seems to do, in his final instants of life, embraced it (Junod 1). In the final instants of his life, the man seemed relaxed, even as he was dashing through the air. He seems at ease in the grip of unimaginable movement and is not threatened by gravity’s divine suction or his ultimate, overly painful death (Junod 1). His right leg is bent at the knee, seeming almost casually and his white jacket, or shirt, or frock, is ballooning free of his black trousers and his high-tops still lay on his feet. Relationship between these Two Readings and the Semiotics of the Kitchen These three works seem to be expounding on the theory of semiotics, particularly how some small historical events have gone to shape the world we live in today. Semiotics refers to the philosophical theory of symbols and signs or the study of meaning-making (Hoffmann 62). This comprises of the study of signs and semiosis (sign processes), indication, likeness, designation, metaphor, analogy, symbolism, signification, as well as communication (Hoffmann 62). The subjects matters being discussed in the works mainly affect certain individuals, which society has chosen to ignore. When viewing the Rosler video, especially from the 4th the 6th minute, we can see that when the female speaks, she names her very own oppression. The emblematic terminology of the kitchen, she theorized, converts a female into a symbol of the food production system and stirred subjectivity. Strictly being an anti-Julia Child, Rosler substitutes the domesticated significance of kitchen utensils with words of frustration and rage (Hoffmann 64). It is not the cooking of food itself that is the scene’s target, but the taken-for-granted position of today’s housewives that the scene, and also the entire video, intends to put on the spotlight. Rosler’s interpretation of the past saying that it is what tends to affect the future, particularly the prejudice put on women, relates to Barthes’ second-order semiological system. Barthes’ claimed that things being in two, the first and the second, the events of the first normally affect the outcome of the second. Even though, Barthes related his claims to olden myths, this can connect to Rosler’s claims as we can see from her views that customary women’s roles of the past are the ones that have led to the prejudiced roles of today. The same manner in which a myth can be is viewed as the appropriation of a past image, which survives in shrug as a mode of meaning, instead of a shared memory, is that same manner in which Rosler’s claim in the Semiotics of the Kitchen can be viewed as an appropriation of history. In Junod’s Falling Man, individuals who view the picture see willpower, stoicism, a portrait of resignation: others view something different, something discordant and thus, terrible, denoting freedom. You can feel something rebellious in the mans pose, as if, once faced with the certainty of death, he opted to carry on with it; as if he were a spear, a missile, bent on reaching at his own end (Junod 1). For Rosler’s video, you can sense that she was acting out in acceptance of the undesired role that nature has set for her. For her, this was a portrait of resignation since she could divert from her already set roles, but only lament them. Conclusion This paper will has related Martha Rosler’s, Semiotics of the kitchen, to Roland Barthes’, Myth Today and Tom Junod’s The Falling Man. The main connection between the three works is that they also contain element of semiotics. Semiotics offers a wide understanding of what things mean. In order to comprehend the deeper meaning of something, it is a recommendation that you understand what semiotics means in order to order analyze something critically. Work Cited Barthes, Roland. Mythologies. Paris: Les Lettres nouvelles, 1972. Print. Hoffmann, Jens. “The Familiar Is Not Necessarily the Known,” NU: The Nordic Art Review (Stockholm), 3.2 (2001): 58–63. Print. Junod, Tom. The Falling Man. N.p, 2014. Web. Performance Art Archive (PAA). Martha Rosler: "Semiotics of the Kitchen" (1975). N.p, 2012. Web. Read More