Blog Post 2

“He was interested in learning how a word comes to stand in for or represent, systematically, an object”

This sentence came up in chapter seven when discussing Ferdinand de Saussure the Swiss linguist. This sentence caught my attention and brought me into the study of semiotics. Semiotics in its formal definition is the study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation. Within this there are three levels that we must keep in mind. The first being the sign or the recognizable combination of signifier and signified. Next is the signifier or the form which a sign takes. Lastly, the signified or the mental concept represented by the signifier. In the simplest form of this much like the opening quote says a word such as banana means the yellow fruit that comes off trees that humans and some animals eat. This word banana has been established to represent that object, the fruit. And when we draw or look at a picture of this yellow fruit we think of the word banana. Next there are three orders of signification. Signification is the process of linking a signifier to a signified. First is the denotation or the literal definition. Next is connotation, the associated or secondary meaning. The third is the myth. The myth is the cultural values and beliefs that are expressed through connotation. The reasons that this topic got my attention so much was due to the fact that all day we are seeing signs are symbols but not often do we stop to break them down for what they truly are. Another aspect of this that interested me is how due to this the same object can be portrayed in many different fashions. An example of this would be a coach. When I hear the word coach an individual with a whistle and chipboard immediately comes to mind. But when we take it a step further and add connotation to the denotation of a coach we get much more. If I showed you a picture of a coach smiling and patting his player on the back. This comes off as caring and loving and gives a coach a good perception. On the other hand, I could show you the same coach but instead this time he was screaming in one of his players faces. So now due to the change of situation although it is the same coach now there is a much different meaning to the picture. In this one you get a feeling of fear and anger. This was extremely interesting to me just how much the situation or how the symbols are shown can effect a person’s feelings toward that object. One of the activities that we did in class was an identification of signs. When the instructor put on the board an individual holding both of his hands straight directly up, immediately I knew and recognized that it meant touchdown. By learning these signs and seeing them so much in our life we do not think much about them and often lose sight of how powerful some of them can be. For instance, at a football game when a referee makes that sign of a touchdown a lot changes. Without him speaking a word, just simply putting both of his arms up in the air there is a reaction. The stands erupt with cheer, the team that scored will celebrate, the band will begin playing music and the scorekeeper in the box will add six points to the scoreboard. All of this can happen simply by a group of people all knowing what a sign means.  Another activity that we did in class was the reaction to symbols. When certain logos of teams were showcased there is an automatic reaction by individuals who have a connection to that team. For example, the majority of the class had a much different reaction to the BSU logo being shown than when the University of Idaho logo was shown. This reveals how you can immediately identify with a symbol and attach past and present experiences to that symbol. Just like in our class since we all attend BSU and support the school, we have a positive reaction when we see the symbol. Taking this concept outside of the class and applying it into real life situations one of the first that I thought of was the workplace. In an office on a daily basis you may hear a variety of words and also most commonly figurative language. When you hear MSRP you might not think much at all but when a business professional hears this they automatically think of manufactures suggested retail price. This is something that is built with experience and learning, but once memorized can be recognized with little hesitation. When looking at the ASSE.org semiotics in the workplace document you can see just how much this is used throughout the modern day office. It shows just how much they use signs in the workplace to get individuals attention about safety measure and other needed precautions. Semiotics are a huge part of our lives and everyday interactions. 

Source: http://www.asse.org/assets/1/7/Geoffrey-Peckham-Interview.pdf