Media Studies A-Level
Second-order meaning
What Second-order meaning means in Media Studies A-Level, as defined for AQA.
Definition of Second-order meaning
Check what you remember
Read the wording for your board, then hide it and explain Second-order meaning in your own words. Rough notes are fine. This is a self-check, with no mark or grade.
Reference: AQA
The level at which a sign's associations, values and feelings are carried beyond its literal referent, explaining what the showing suggests within a culture.
Topics that use Second-order meaning
- Semiotics - Barthes' ideas and theories on semiotics (AQA A-Level)
Related terms
- Connotation
- Cultural association
- Denotation
- Denotation and connotation
- Myth
- Naturalisation and ideology
- Sign analysis
- Literal referent
Using Second-order meaning in the exam
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