This study contains an analysis of images through a gender perspective of three history text books for middle schools. The aim of this study is to clarify if the images reflect a gender power structure where men are superior women. The answered questions were: do women and men appear as often in the pictures of the books? How are women and men portrayed from a gender perspective in the pictures? What possible consequences could the portrayal of men and women cause the education and pupils? Our theoretical perspective is Yvonne Hirdman’s gender theory, Vivien Burr’s social constructionism and Ferdinand de Saussure’s and Roland Barthes’s theory about semiotics. Our methods were a quantitative content analysis combined with a qualitative semiotic analysis of images. The quantitative content analysis showed that there is an overrepresentation of men in the pictures of the books. The qualitative semiotic analysis showed that men are portrayed as main characters in the pictures. This by given more space by positions, accessories and activities. Women on the other hand is portrayed as passive and to some extent as accessories to the men. The women seem to rule in the sphere of children and home, while men seem to be absent in these same areas. Women and men are also physically separated on the images which makes the gender power structure even more clear.

This thesis focuses on connotative meaning routinely ignored or difficult to locate in the available ESL textbooks and dictionaries. This perceived absence led to the following study: a review of ESL textbooks, a review of standard monolingual English and learner dictionaries, and a survey of ESL instructors.

The purpose of this thesis is to reveal some of the behavioral characteristics of a specific type of laughter that I term "feigned laughter," and how it is used in the context of face-threatening-utterances (FTUs), or utterances that threaten the face needs of an individual.

This dissertation thesis deals with metaphorical patterns in a specific language material - names for partner (pet names) as recognizabled by pupils of age 14 to 16 and students of age 18 to 20. Names for partner, i. e. ways of mutual calling between a two people making a couple, were selected due to its strong metaphorical character. Their ambiguous affiliation with proper names, or common name enabled critical evaluation of structural and functional definition of proper names as well. Furthemore they enable to present a cognitive view on proper names especially based on emphasizing the conotative part of meaning and metaphorical nature of humans' thinking. The research was based on questionnaire divided into two parts and group and individual interviews with girls. The sufficient lexicological material gained due to the first part of questionnaire became a matter of metaphorical conceptualizations' analysis dealing with conceptualizations of partner (love). Thanks to the individual interviews the communication and pragmatic analysis of names for partner was performed. Second part of questionnaire and group interviews with girls enabled the detailed analysis of connotations and metaphorical perception of thirteen names intended for ladies. KEYWORDS metaphor, cognitive linguistics, onomastics,...

Our thesis is dealing with case of reportage photography and medial sharing of our choosen visual image. We have choosen an image of syrian refugee Aylan Kurdi from 2015, whose photo is refering the problem of refugee crisis in Europe. The thesis is focused on semiotic approach of selected photographies, which are showing the same picture from different perspectives. In our case is perspective very important part of thesis, because these photographies are very questionable on ehtical principes. Therefore, we are also focused on the way, how the media deal with this issue. Our thesis points the signs of reportage photography and also monitor their changes, which depends on the medium, title, perex and composition of words completing photography.We are also focused on contextual framework of photography in choosen media. The secondary objective of our thesis is the comparision of results of analysis of selected picture published in individual selected media and comparision of differences in interpretation and photography context. Thesis is primaly based on theoretical concepts of Roland Bathers on specific visual sharing of selected media. Monitored indicators are the concepts of denotation, conotation and myth, while we are focused on connection between text and image and interpretation in selected...

Selected fashion houses that exclusively offer luxurious goods use specific form of promotion of their products. Each house usually holds onto traditions of its country and features essential for its own brand while creating new collections. From the point of view of neo-rhetoric it would be appropriate to analyze visual advertisements of the houses (Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Burberry) if they create certain models via them. The main advertising campaigns for the spring/summer 2011 season were chosen for this comparison. Under the terms of observation and semiotic analysis of the fashion advertisement focused on rhetoric figures it can be proved that individual fashion houses aim their attention to how their potential customers' thinking is influenced by their advertising. The model of Roland Barthes is used for the analysis of chosen visual advertisements. Out of all rhetorical tropes the attention is paid to main four - visual metaphor, metonymy, synecdoche and irony. Fashion advertising meets unwritten norm that sets a target to convince the customer of suitability of the products for him.

The Social Campaign "chodicilide.cz" of the Foundation Sirius is trying to change the public's access to persons with disabilities. After the previous monitoring, workshops, technical texts they made a creative and media solutions campaign. The campaign is based primarily on humor and provocation. The Campaign created a parallel world where is flying like the natural properties and walking representing persons with disabilities. The thesis will deal with semiotic analysis of media campaigns addressing its second wave toward the target group. The thesis analyzes ways of communication used in the campaign in terms of efficiency to the public. The theoretical part presents the semiotics, the issue of social advertising and the concept of handicap in a context of Czech Republic. The analytical part focuses on the semiotic analysis of media solutions of the second wave of the campaign, specifically the logo of campaign, selected billboards and television spots.

Abstracts in Afrikaans and English / Aangesien die konsep van kleur vaag en abstrak is, verskil die ervaring én beskrywing daarvan van individu tot individu en van kultuur tot kultuur. Aldus word die waarneem van kleur dikwels ʼn persoonlike en subjektiewe ervaring. In die geval van historiese tale, egter, is die uitdaging om kleurbeskrywing korrek oor te dra, nie sielkundig of esteties van aard nie, maar kultureel, aangesien daar onderliggend aan hierdie tale ʼn unieke linguistiese sisteem gekoppel is. So byvoorbeeld moet die ontleding van Latynse kleurwoorde en die toewysing van relevante betekenismoontlikhede op ʼn besondere wyse aan die Afrikaanse idioom geanker word, sonder om die uniekheid van elk van hierdie tale in te boet. Dit is gevolglik die taak van die navorser om moderne wetenskaplike beskouings oor kleuraanwending met sensitiwiteit en oordeelkundig op die antieke kleursisteme toe te pas. Die bestudering van kleur en kleurgebruik in die Oudheid was vir ʼn lang tyd in omstredenheid gehul. Navorsing in hierdie verband het aanvanklik slegs op die tegniese en argeologiese aspekte van kleurproduksie en -gebruik in die Griekse en Romeinse kuns en argitektuur gefokus. Daarenteen is teoretiese kwessies oor die funksie van kleur in die non-tegniese, estetiese letterkunde selde aangespreek, veral weens die invloed van linguisties-semantiese en kleur-psiogologiese vraagstukke. In hierdie proefskrif val die kollig op Vergilius se keuse en aanwending van dié kleurterme wat beide eksplisiet en implisiet in die Georgica voorkom. Aangesien ʼn sinvolle analise van hierdie digter se kleurgebruik nie tot die Georgica beperk kan word nie, moet die ooreenstemmende terme nie net in sy Eclogae en Aeneïs nie, maar ook in die werke van sy voorgangers, die digters Lucretius en Catullus, betrek word. Uit ʼn beperkte omvang selekteer en gebruik Vergilius kleurwoorde met ʼn delikate presisie van betekenis. Hoewel die stelselmatige ontleding van hierdie terme se betekenismoontlikhede kontekstueel beperk is, toon hierdie benadering in watter mate Vergilius innoverend en verbeeldingryk voorkom. Hierdie inligting dien vervolgens as parateks vir die studie wat volg: Vergilius se gebruik van kleurterme deur die verloop van die vier boeke van die Georgica met die fokus op die letterkundige impak en literêre effekte wat deurgaans as ‘eg Vergiliaans’ beoordeel kan word. . Sou hierdie kleurterme geïgnoreer of net nie raakgelees word nie, kan die leser nie daarop aanspraak maak dat die Georgica waarlik verstaan word nie. Dit is dus die doel van hierdie navorsing om die leser toe te rus met middele tot die vind van ʼn dieper insig in en groter waardering vir hierdie werk as uitnemende poësie. / Since the concept of colour is vague and abstract, the perception of colour differs from individual to individual and from culture to culture to become a highly personal and subjective experience. In the case of historical languages, however, the description of colour is challenging. Conveying colour description correctly is not a psychological or aesthetic exercise, but cultural, as each language has a unique underlying linguistic sensitivity. Consequently, in this dissertation which is written in Afrikaans, the analysis of Latin colour words must be anchored to the Afrikaans idiom in such a unique way as not to detract from the differences in cultural feel between these two languages. Therefore, and in spite of obvious differences, it is the task of the researcher to apply modern scientific views discerningly and sensitively to any ancient colour system. The study of colour and its application in antiquity has long been controversial. Initially research on these aspects of Greek and Roman societies focused only on the technical and archaeological aspects of colour production and its application in their art and architecture. In the wide array of theories regarding linguistic-semantic issues, colour-psychology and also colour aesthetics, theoretical issues regarding the function of colour in non-technical (‘literary’) works were rarely addressed, This dissertation focuses on those colour terms which Vergil uses both explicitly and implicitly in the Georgica. A meaningful analysis of this poet's use of colour must of necessity also include the application of the corresponding terms in his Eclogae and Aeneid, as well as those in the works of his poetic predecessors, Lucretius and Catullus. Selected from a limited range, Vergil applies colour words with a delicate precision of meaning. Although the systematic analysis of these words indicates a range of meaning which can be contextually limited, this approach highlights Vergil’s innovative and imaginative use of colour. With these findings as basis the focus shifts to the consecutive use of colour terms throughout the four books to indicate extraordinary and innovative literary effects which can only be described as ‘thoroughly Vergilian’. If these colour strategies were to escape the reader’s attention, it would result in a poorer understanding of the poem. It is therefore the purpose of this research to equip readers with strategies that will lead to a greater appreciation of the Georgics as exceptional poetry. / Classics and World Languages / D. Litt. et Phil. (Klassieke Studies)

This study is about underlying discourses of two tv-series for children from opposite parts of the globe. Focus lays on which morals and values adults choose to teach children through popular culture, even on an unaware basis and how does differ, or not, between different societies. The theoretical framework chosen for this study are semiotics in combination with the concept of the gaze by Laura Mulvey. Semiotics is the study of signs and their underlying meanings constructed by society. By studying popular culture with the tools provided by semiotic analysis it is possible to discouver underlying myths, social constructions of society, that are reproduced over and over again to remain alive. Mulveys theory of the gaze is helpfull in the process of decoding those constructions to discover the dominant partys and norms represented. In this particular study underlying structures such as patriarcal power relations, unequality between the representation of different ethnicities and the consistent presents of the male gaze where discovered. The conclusions made are that some social constructions are more global then others and that popular culture in a high degree mirrors societies norms, preferences and values.

Denna uppsats handlar om en undersökning av Försvarsmaktens reklamkampanjer ‘’Välkommen till vår verklighet’’ och ‘’Just nu”, från år 2011 och 2020. Studiens två frågeställningar ligger som grund till vårt syfte att undersöka hur Försvarsmakten framställer sig i deras två centrala reklamkampanjer och vilka skillnader och likheter som framkommer mellan dessa årtal. Frågeställningarna har besvarats med hjälp av framtagna teoretiska ramverk och tidigare forskning. Undersökningen i dess helhet gjordes med en kvalitativ innehållsanalys och analysen genomfördes med en multimodal audiovisuell analys. Innan vi bestämde oss för att genomföra undersökningen med denna analysmodell tog vi fram andra modeller och jämförde dessa för att hitta den mest relevanta analysmodellen för studien. Resultatet visar att reklamfilmerna syftar till att uppmuntra individer att söka till Försvarsmakten och ge stöd till dess huvuduppdrag, att försvara Sveriges demokrati och medborgare. Studien visade att Försvarsmaktens reklam avser att skilja på verklighet och fiktion för att skapa en trovärdig bild som militär i Sverige. Studien visade också att militären lade stor vikt på filmens innehåll och visade upp militären som heroiska för att få stöd för sitt uppdrag. / This essay is about analyzing the Swedish Armed Forces' advertising campaigns "Welcome to our reality" and "Right now", from 2011 and 2020. The study's two main questions is to examine how the Armed Forces presents themselves in their two central advertising campaigns and what differences and similarities emerge between the advertising campaigns. The questions have been answered with the help of a theoretical framework and previous research. The research was conducted with a qualitative content analysis and the analysis was conducted with a multimodal audiovisual analysis. Before we decided to conduct the study with this analysis model, we studied other models and compared them to find the most relevant analysis model for our study. The results show that the commercials are intended to encourage individuals to apply for the Swedish Armed Forces and give support to there main mission, to defend Swedens democracy and citizens. The study showed that the Armed Forces commercial intend to distinguish between reality and fiction to give a proper sense of what to except when working within the military of Sweden. The study also showed that military put a strong empahasis in the content of the film, showcasing the heroics of the military to get support for there mission.