Semiotics is the science of deciphering signs and meaning. Or as more aptly put by Branston & Stafford (2003):
“Semiotics is defined as the study of signs, or of the social production of meanings and pleasures by sign systems, or the study of how things come to have significance.” (p. 12)
This definition highlights the complex task of semiotics of not only discovering the meaning behind signs but also how they are constructed. To make matters even more complicated this includes the change in either the meaning of the sign or sign itself. However while signs and their meaning may still appear a simple subject at first as Branston & Stafford continue to elaborate:
“Semiotics, however, does not assume that the media work as simple channels of communication, as ‘windows on the world’. Instead they are seen as actually structuring the very realities which they seem to ‘describe’ or ‘stand in for’.” (p. 12)
As a field of study semiotics treats media and signs that are carried by the media as objects that produce our very own realities by determining the meaning of things that exist within it. This gives signs a tremendous power over cultures and collectives, identities and individuals. Understanding signs allows us to not only see what meanings are present but also how meaning is shaped with intent of those who produce those signs.
The concept of a sign so far has been treated as an abstract yet simple term. However it requires a proper definition before we can proceed. One of the founding fathers of the field of semiotics, the french linguist Ferdinande de Saussure argued that all signs consist of two elements – the signifier and the signified (Branston & Stafford, 2003, p. 12). Signifier refers to the actual sign, the object that we see perceive. The signified is the idea or meaning that follows and is attached to the signified and is separated from the signified. Both of these elements then make up a sign. An image or sound without meaning is not a sign, nor is meaning without an object to represent it. For Saussure the link between the signifier and the signified is arbitrary as it is something that can change over time (Berger, 2010, p. 5-6). Thus the sign can be studied either in the present or continuously as something that is continuously developing. Or using proper terminology synchronically or diachronically. Another aspect that reinforces the idea that this link is arbitrary is that the sign relies on context as well as opposition for its meaning. Often meaning of a sign is derived from what it is not and thus operates by the logic of opposition. However the meaning of sign can be defined if it is found in context or rather relation to other signs which they oppose.
Charles Sanders Pierce, an American logician and philosopher, took the idea of signifier and the signified further by introducing the term of referent. The referent is the object which both the signifier and the signified are connected to yet exists beyond the sign (Branston & Stafford, 2003, p.13). Given that the idea that is being signified itself can change through culture the object that is both signified and referred to by the signifier must be treated as separate. Pierce also elaborated on the types of signs that exist of which the main ones are symbol, index and icon.
A symbol is a sign where the connection between the signifier and the signified is completely arbitrary. Perhaps the best example of this is written language and letters. Within any language the letters and the sounds they correspond to are effectively made up. Yet they are agreed upon by the majority of people that speak the language out of necessity in order to communicate in writing. And as we have discussed above the meaning attached to signs or rather the signified is something that is constructed and produced over time. In the case of language and letters such development may take decades if not centuries for these connection to become established. Though while arbitrary written language is incredibly useful and this may be a result of its abstract and malleable nature.
Index unlike symbols have a causal link between the sign and the signified. Some of the most recognizable examples of indexes are often warning signs such as the skull. They warn of what may happen or the consequences associated with the sign. The signifier usually displays the consequences as in the above case explosion, while the signified is the warning of danger which one ought to keep in mind when handling chemicals or items labeled with this sign.
Lastly icons are the very opposite of symbols in that they rather then arbitrarily assigning meaning represent exactly what the sign presents to the person that perceives that sign. Images and photos are a good example of icons as they show a particular signifier. Anybody who knows of or has visited the Eiffel tower will recognize the shape and contour of it and thus the above icon will be associated with it. The letter A can hardly be argued somehow shows how the sound one makes when pronouncing it is made. The Eiffel tower however would still exist even if nobody made icons of it.
Semiotics, the science of signs, after having elaborated both on the meaning of the sign itself and the purpose of semiotics is far from simple. Yet it has important applications such as observing change in signs, meanings and their production. Given the definition of signs as something that are capable of shaping our reality, the study of them could reveal to us many important aspects of our own cultures and societies. Not to mention it can serve as a tool to understand and thus solve issues if it is possible present in our societies. As the digital and online media are becoming more prevalent thus how signs and their meaning are produced becomes more and more ambiguous. An issue that presents itself is that of truth. Meaning goes hand in hand with truth. With digital mediums the ability to discern truth is becoming more and more difficult. Which is where semiotics as a tool becomes useful for us to not only find the truth but perhaps to learn more about the nature of it.
Sources:
Berger, A. A. (2010). The Objects of Affection: Semiotics and consumer culture. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Branston, G., & Stafford, R. (2003). The Media Student’s Book (5th edition). London/New York: Psychology Press.