a person whose behaviour, persona and/or appearance provide an

influential model for others to follow.

touching, physical contact such as holding, hitting, kissing, stroking, shaking

hands, guiding.

the way in which we adjust our language to make it more like the

language style of the person we are addressing if we want to convey warmth,

friendliness and empathy.

gestures with the specific cultural meanings attached, often used as direct

substitutes for words.

meaning systems consisting of signs. Signs are anything that has the

potential to generate meaning, to signify. When a sign has generated meaning, it is

said to have achieved signification. This is fundamental to the semiotic approach to

the study of communication.

the sense we have of ourselves, which we then ‘represent’ ‘elsewhere’: a

person’s social meaning.

 refers to the construction in any medium (especially the mass

media) of aspects of ‘reality’ such as people, places, objects, events, cultural

identities and other abstract concepts. Such representations may be in speech or

writing as well as still or moving pictures. (Daniel Chandler’s definition).

mould into which reality is poured, whatever its individual shape. A

stereotype is a simplified and generalised image of a group of people, which is

created out of the values, judgements and assumptions of its creators, in most cases

society itself. A stereotype of men might suggest their machismo or manliness.

 the idea that knowledge of certain topics can confer similar benefits

to monetary wealth. People who possess lots of money and wealth have economic

capital. Those who are able to converse knowledgeably about (say) philosophy,

music, art or literature have cultural capital. We could also extend the concept to the

realm of expert knowledge in sub-cultural groups: sub-cultural capital.