Semiotics

 What is semiotics?

Semiotics is the study of signs and symbols, which was first created by John Locke in 17th century. In the 19th and 20th century, Ferdinand de Saussure and Charles Sanders Pierce defined Semiotics and founded it as an interdisciplinary field of study. Semiotics can be used to determine the meaning behind certain signs by looking at which category the sign falls under. The three categories are an icon, an index, or a symbol. Semiotics is important due to the convenience it provides in determining signs every day. An icon represents something, so it could be a dear crossing road sign. A index is something that relates to what is being represented like a growling stomach indicating hunger. A symbol could be the double yellow lines on a street indicating to not cross them. 

Here is a great article on semiotics to check out!

https://opentext.wsu.edu/theoreticalmodelsforteachingandresearch/chapter/semiotic-theory/

Rules of semiotics

1. Every sign consists of the signifier (the physical part of the sign) and the signified (the meaning of it). 

2. The signifier and the signified  have either a syntagmatic or paradigmatic relationship. 

3. Signs have either a denotative(literal) or connotative (associative) meaning behind them. 

4. Signs are categorized into three categories; an icon, an index, or a symbol. 

5. Signs are linked to semiotic codes which can be social, textual, or interpretative.  

Using the semiotic method

The signifier part of the sign is the picture of the curvy arrow and the signified part of the sign is the indication that the road up ahead is going to be winding back and forth. This is important due to notifying one to slow down in order to prevent a car crash or carsickness. 

What is social semiotics?

Social semiotics is used to to help individuals communicate and understand the world around them. It was founded by Michael Halliday in 1978, which was later defined by Robert Hodge, Gunther Kress, and Theo van Leeuwen. It is important because it helps people to communicate with others in a variety of social situations and overall is how individuals create and decipher texts. 

Here is a great article on social semiotics to check out!

https://multimodalityglossary.wordpress.com/social-semiotics/ 

Rules of social semiotics 

1. Signs and symbols are not inherently meaningful unless they are used in a specific social context.

2. Signs are a part of a system used to convey meaning.

3. Signs are culturally constructed.

4. Signs are not universal and differ depending on the culture and society.

5. Signs are multimodal and can be conveyed through language, images, sounds, or gestures.

6. Signs are dynamic and can change over time.

7. Signs are ideological and never neutral.

Using the social semiotic method

From looking at the rules of social semiotics, the meaning I conveyed through analyzing this photo is that the girl is displaying sadness or fear. She has tears in her eyes and her eyebrows are slightly raised. It looks as if she is looking at someone or something that is making her sad or she is looking to them for comfort. Overall, the image is communicating that she is feeling a negative emotion.