Barthes

Roland Barthes was a French thinker who studied how signs, symbols, and language create meaning in culture and media. He examined how our understanding of images, texts, and objects is shaped by context, conventions, and social norms. His ideas suggest that meaning is not fixed but constructed through our interpretation of signs. For example, a photograph doesn’t just capture reality; it also conveys cultural messages and assumptions. Barthes’ work helps us see how stories, advertisements, and texts influence our perceptions, highlighting that our understanding is active and shaped by broader cultural systems.