A Feasibility Study of Acquiring General Visual Literacy through Semiotic Approach

 
 
 
 
Considering the rapid development of technology and its tremendous impact on people’s way of living today compared to a few decades ago, the advent and growth of social networks, television, cinema, etc., has stimulated global attention to the indispensable role of images in human communication. The ability to analyse images and works of art from an aesthetic perspective may not be a sensible expectation from the public. However, since images are being produced and reproduced on a large scale by mass communication media and social networks, and due to the development of graphic software that has increased the speed of image production, images have become powerful and effective communication tools. Consequently, the way images are produced, interpreted, and circulated, as well as the target audience, lead us to the conclusion that they serve functions much different from those of the past. In the 21st century, images have created such a dense image space that it has transformed human communication from being word-oriented to image-oriented. Nowadays, images are used as widely as words and are even more powerful in conveying meanings and facilitating communication. Undoubtedly, we live in a world dominated by images, and regardless of the text and context in which they are produced, images have a strong and captivating expression that exerts control over us; we encounter virtual realities that consist of moving images, not just in front of us, but we feel ourselves within them! Visual spaces shape the users' identity and convey the values and meanings promoted by centres of power, wealth, and media instantly. Therefore, it is essential to possess the necessary skills to comprehend and interpret the visual spaces that are poised to capture the minds and thoughts of people so that through developing curious attitudes and strong arguments, we can engage in thinking independently. In the age of globalisation, due to easier communication, many institutions, including business centers, political institutions, mass communication media operators, and educational centers are interested in images. However, it is crucial to remember that although the methods and speed of producing images and their respective knowledge have developed, thanks to technology, visual literacy and interpreting images from the audience's point of view have not grown and developed correspondingly. When faced with images, the audience do not typically notice the associations and hidden messages sent by their producers; they do not have enough skills to read and interpret pictures, because they find communication obvious and do not feel the need to achieve visual literacy and the required skills. On the other hand, educational institutions and centres responsible for developing visual literacy have not kept up with the developments in image production technologies and have failed to adequately incorporate the acquisition of visual literacy into their agenda. Prioritising education and acquisition of visual skills seem necessary not only at different levels of education but also for all members of society. Therefore, the importance of developing visual literacy and utilising it effectively necessitates that educational and research institutions seek solutions and plan accordingly. This will enable the audience to avoid visual exploitation by gaining visual literacy as well as the necessary skills to accurately understand the meanings conveyed by images in diverse interactions. Through this process, individuals can discern both explicit and implicit meanings of images using tools of the semiotic system.  The significance of conducting this research lies in the fact that it tries to develop visual literacy, and it aims to investigate and qualitatively assess the feasibility of using semiotics in acquiring and developing visual literacy for all image users. The present study attempts to answer the following research questions: 1. Does semiotics, as a method of text analysis, provide the necessary tools, materials, and structural principles for the development of public visual literacy? How can the tools and methods of the semiotic system be used to develop and teach visual literacy? 2. What novel dimensions does visual literacy include in the era of globalisation, characterised by technological developments? Research conducted on visual literacy in both Iranian and non-Iranian contexts also indicate the growing importance of acquiring visual literacy in the era of globalisation.
This study attempts to explore models for interpreting images using a semiotic system. Semiotics is referred to as a research method, particularly in the discovery of implications and connections within different texts that allows for the exploration of hidden meanings beyond surface ones. Therefore, by referring to the views of Ferdinand de Saussure, Roland Barthes, and other scholars in this field, as well as research on the development of visual literacy, from a structuralism in some aspects and functionalism in others within the framework of the semiotic system, and with an emphasis on visual syntax and transcending formal elements that constitute the visual form and structure (iconography), and by providing a comprehensive definition of visual literacy, this study serves to examine the structure, contexts, and possibilities of the semiotics approach. This framework can then be applied to image interpretation and the development of visual literacy. Initial investigations have shown that the structure of the semiotic system of an image can be divided into synchronic and diachronic relations, contrasts and associations, connotative and denotative meanings, figurative languages, metaphor, and address, and finally encoding and decoding. This indicates that the semiotic approach possesses the necessary tools, materials, and methods for the development of visual literacy by transcending the linguistic system. Furthermore, since a significant portion of images is based on the medium of photography, out of which the selected examples in this article are selected, this study also delves into the semiotics of photography. The hypothesis in this paper is postulated based on the premise that the structural characteristics of images possess the necessary capacity and capability for growth and development within the framework of the semiotic system.
This study is descriptive-analytical in method, and it uses library-based documentation as well as online sources. Data analysis is qualitative and content-based, and the samples of this study includes the images published on social networks, reputable websites, and art works out of which some images are selected to determine the feasibility of the analytical exploration plan.
One of the results obtained in this study is a comprehensive definition of visual literacy, which, as for the writing system, is not merely limited to initial reading and writing. In other words, in addition to paying attention to the principles of visual grammar and syntax, the structural characteristics of it necessitate the use of mental abilities such as analytical power, analogy, induction, reasoning, synthesis, explanation, interpretation, inference, criticism, and creativity, and the semiotic approach possesses the necessary capacity for the growth and development of the mentioned mental abilities. Therefore, with a methodological insight into this knowledge, and using its tools and structural principles that are made feasible by transcending beyond the linguistic system, and emphasising the pictorial syntax, such as the axis of synchronic and diachronic relations of the image (one of the primary axes of the semiotic system) as well as the principles of contrast and association in the image, which are basically meaning generating, and rhetoric principles such as metonymy, metaphor, oratory, denotation and connotation, and code words in the image, it can be concluded that a fundamental interpretation of the images can be obtained. The results show that the semiotic approach has the required capacity to teach and develop visual literacy for the public. Finally, it is suggested that planning and educational centres pay due attention to all potential approaches and methods to provide an organised and comprehensive practical framework for developing visual literacy.