Research Investigation 2 / Barthes

You will be advised on how best to aim to set a clear research agenda, explore key texts, apply research undertaken, consider audience issues, contexts/changes, address relevant issues, trends and debates and draws intelligent and independent/original conclusions.

• Key Words: Qualitative, quantitative, writing skills, planning skills

With proper formatting, investigation reports offer clear roadmaps of investigations from start to finish. Introductory remarks establish historical context so readers understand the investigators’ objectives. An organised table of contents reveals the individual parts—such as methodology, setting and findings—that together tell an unabridged story. Results should be stated objectively. The report’s closing remarks should make appropriate references to key findings so that there is little doubt to readers about what the next step should be.

Consider the structure of this high scoring investigation.

Consider the mode of address, its completely objective.

Take note of the formatting, this makes it easier to read.

Note the length of the conclusion in the Research Investigation here.

Note how well organised the Harvard Referencing is at the end of the R. I. 

Books, Articles and Journals and Websites are acknowledged.

Roland Barthes

Roland Barthes has argued that every narrative has multiple codes. Typical features are used in narrative but can have several different meanings and interpretations and these meanings are suggested by Barthes five codes.

Barthes argues that every narrative is interwoven with multiple codes. 

Any text is, in fact, marked by the multiple meanings suggested by the five codes.

Barthes theory on Media-Codes is important to us in structural terms as well as helping us to consider the positioning of audiences.

The Hermeneutic Code (or Enigma code)This refers to any element of the story that is not fully explained and which creates questions that need to be answered. The purpose is typically to keep the audience guessing until the part of the text when all is revealed, loose ends are tied off and the questions are answered.

 Most stories hold back details in order to increase the effect of the final revelation.

The Proairetic Code (Action code) This builds tension; any action or event that suggests something else is about to happen. An action that prompts the reader to predict what will happen next and will result in increased interest and excitement.

For example, a gunslinger draws his gun on an adversary and we wonder what the resolution of this action will be. We wait to see if he kills his opponent or is wounded himself. Suspense is thus created by action rather than by a reader's or a viewer's wish to have mysteries explained.

The Semantic Code This code refers to connotation within the story that gives additional meaning over the basic denotative meaning of the word. It is by the use of extended meaning that can be applied to words that authors can paint rich pictures with relatively limited text and the way they do this is a common indication of their writing skills.

The semantic code creates tension and suspense in the thriller by the use of connotations of certain features in the narrative such as props and dialogue.

For example, an envelope posted through a door with a number code written the back of it. The denotations of this is just sequenced numbers , yet the connotations will fuel and develop the story into further points. For example, these numbers have connotations of such things as:

·         Phone Numbers

·         Map co-ordinates

·         Pin codes

·         Door Codes

·         Bar codes

·         Address

The Symbolic Code This is very similar to the Semantic Code, but acts at a wider level, organising semantic meanings into broader and deeper sets of meaning. This is typically done in the use of opposition, where a new meaning arises out of opposing ideas. Such as good/evil and light/dark.
Similar to the theory of opposition. For example if a murderer in a film seems to have escaped justice; this goes against all our beliefs about the law, this creates tension for the audience.

The Cultural Code This code refers to anything that is founded on some kind of recognised principle that is not challenged by the audience and is always assumed to be the truth. Normally this involves either science or religion.

For example ,  in Quentin Tarantinos production of Pulp Fiction, a religious speech is quoted by Samuel.L.Jacksons hit man character Jules right before he kills another character. The quote is front he bible and is as follows:

‘and I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them.’

This quote uses Barthes' cultural code as the words within such as ‘vengeance’ and ‘execute’ only have connotations of violence and death. Jules proceeds to kill the secondary character. What Barthes is trying to explain by the cultural code is that when using symbols from certain areas such as religion or science, only one connotation can be understood and is used within a production.

Task 1: Watch the trailer for the Crime Drama Seven and write down any of Barthes codes as you can identify.