Slides available at:

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Introduction to Semiotics Doug Brent
Slides available at http//www.ucalgary.ca/dabr
ent under Material from Guest Lectures
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Semiotics
The art (science?) of describing and
interpreting the potential meaning of signs
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Every sign is composed of a 'signifier' - the
form which the sign takes and the 'signified'
- the concept it represents.
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Types of sign (Peirce)
index physical relationship (smoke index of
fire) icon graphic relationship (visual
representation) symbol arbitrary relationship
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Iconic or Symbolic?
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No sign is purely iconic
tree
More iconic More symbolic º
(more constrained, more motivated)
(less constrained, less motivated)
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No matter how iconic a sign is, its meaning is
not in the sign. Its in the person who
interprets the sign according to a code.
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Anodized Gold Plaque from Pioneer 10 Space Probe
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What messages does the picture convey?
What codes must be shared in order to make sense
of the picture?
What cultural assumptions are encoded?
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Semiotic codes are systems laden with cultural
meaning. Cultural meanings are learned, usually
unconsciously.
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Signs can be recoded by their context . . .
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• semiotic analysis
• can be applied to any sign system
• not empirically verifiable
• looks for social, not individual effects
• becomes a major tool of cultural studies

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See Semiotics Links at the end of Chandlers
article for examples of semiotic analyses,
including student essays (articles titled A
Semiotic Analysis of )