Rather, it is part of a system. This system is influenced by the attitudes of a particular group. These attitudes, in turn, lend meaning to the sign. A difference in attitude can lead to confusion in the interpretation of signs and the meanings of messages.
Barthes " theory distinguishes between a verbal and a nonverbal sign. According to Barthes, the relationship between the signifier and the signified in a verbal sign is arbitrary. The relationship between the signifier and the signified in a nonverbal sign is based on affinity. .
In this theory, every ideological sign is the result of two interconnected sign systems. In the first system, the signifier image and the signified concept combine to produce the denotative sign. This system is strictly descriptive. In the second system, the sign of the denotative system becomes the signifier of the connotative system. This is where meanings become dependent upon culture or attitude. What one group may perceive a sign to mean, another group may find a totally different meaning attached to the same sign. .
Application.
In the article "Rainbow Symbol "Hijacked" by Homosexuals, Says Pro-Family Group" from CNSNews.com, the basic premise of Barthes" Semiotic Theory can be analyzed. Many believe that the rainbow was a biblical symbol of hope and promise. Members of the Family Research Council believe that the rainbow is a symbol of God's grace and turn to the Book of Genesis for the first account of the rainbow. In Genesis, it states that after the flood, God placed a rainbow in the sky as a symbol that He would never again destroy the earth by water. .
To these individuals, the signifier of the denotative sign system is the image of a rainbow that forms in the minds of groups who believe in the biblical references. The content of the signified is the idea that it reflects the idea of God's watchful. The denotative sign, the combination of the signifier and the signified is a rainbow of hope and promise.
