Anastasia Christodoulou

The Use of Point Pattern Statistics in UrbanAnalysis

This paper exploresthe use of point pattern statistics in urban analysis. The study adopts a systems view of urban space and identifies three discernible tiers for the analysis of the latter. For each of these tiers, it is demonstrated how certain tools and methods of point pattern analysis, can be utilized for the quantification of urban uses’ spatial patterns. Significant attentionis also given to the selection of the most appropriate methods, assome of these are moreusefulthan others for urban analysis. Furthermore, the study suggests a technique for the synthesis of the results of this three tiered urban analysis into a single graphical representation.

Semiotics and Meaning in the Aims of Education in Greece

The crisis pertaining to values appears to pervade the world, and in the midst of this crisis education is called upon to undertake a significant task of promoting a positive transformation of culture. Education based on values needs to become a top priority worldwide. The chapter presents the research demonstrating a semiotic approach to the relationship between the aims of education in Greece and, specifically, paideia as cultural education. Three texts are analyzed: two Greek legal texts and the Delors Report to UNESCO. Given the nature of the texts, the chapter follows some current approaches to legal semiotics as influenced by Greimas’ model of structural semantics and sociosemiotics. A sociosemiotic perspective is not limited to the formal analytical approach, but examines texts as an integral part of the larger group of material, socioeconomic, and political factors. The texts represent two different meaning systems and two different communication systems as being situated in two different socioeconomic and political contexts. The research findings discover the existence of correspondences between the texts in terms of the relations of transformation.

The logotypes of football clubs as expressions of collective identities: a socio-semiotic approach

This paper focuses on 119 logotypes that are depicted on European football club kits. The football clubs were selected based on their participation in the first two rounds of the UEFA Champions League competitions and in specific in its first two rounds covering a period of time from 1993 to 2010. Our research interest focuses on the significance of ideological loading in terms of the codes occurring in team logos as symbols of collective identities. Our view was, firstly, that logotypes have absorbed and internalized values and stereotypes from the wider social sphere (paradigmatic axis) and, secondly, that there is a common structuring of logos in terms of codes (syntagmatic axis). Our research is based on socio-semiotic methodology, which is not confined to a formalistic approach of texts, but scrutinizes them as an integral part of a material, socio-economic and political context. The analysis led to a series of important data referring to the structuring of team logos as well as to how these logos are related.