Semiotics Field Research
Semiotics is the study of signs. Look around you; meanings embedded in signs are all around. This tool will help you identify various signs, their parts, and the meanings people may make of them in the field.
Below are five signifiers you should seek out: word, image, sound, object, and gesture.
Word
Written or spoken word(s).
Signifier
What is the word(s)?
Signified
You: What concept(s) does the word(s) evoke in you?
Other: What concept(s) could the word(s) evoke for someone very different from you?
Sign Type
What type of sign is this?
- Icon: The word(s) resemble the concept being signified
- Index: When we see the word, it suggests something else is going on
- Symbolic: The shapes of the letters or words are arbitrary, but we know the meaning because we learned it somewhere
Note: almost all language is symbolic!
Payoff
Is this word(s) problematic, considering its meaning could be interpreted differently across cultures? Why?
Image
Images such as photographs, visual illustrations, or in-person phenomena.
Signifier
What is the image?
Signified
You: What concept(s) does the image evoke in you?
Other: What concept(s) could the image evoke for someone very different from you?
Sign Type
What type of sign is this?
- Icon: The image resembles the concept being signified
- Index: When we see the image, it suggests something else is going on
- Symbolic: The image is arbitrary, but we know the meaning because we learned it somewhere
Payoff
Is this image problematic, considering its meaning could be interpreted differently across cultures? Why?
Sound
Audible natural or human-made sounds.
Signifier
What is the sound?
Signified
You: What concept(s) does the sound evoke in you?
Other: What concept(s) could the sound evoke for someone very different from you?
Sign Type
What type of sign is this?
- Icon: The sound resembles the concept being signified
- Index: When we hear the sound, it suggests something else is going on
- Symbolic: The sound’s makeup is arbitrary, but we know the meaning because we learned it somewhere
Payoff
Is this sound problematic, considering its meaning could be interpreted differently across cultures? Why?
Object
A physical object of any kind.
Signifier
What is the object?
Signified
You: What concept(s) does the object evoke in you?
Other: What concept(s) could the object evoke for someone very different from you?
Sign Type
What type of sign is this?
- Icon: The object resembles the concept being signified
- Index: When we touch and engage with the object, it suggests something else is going on
- Symbolic: The object’s makeup is arbitrary, but we know the meaning because we learned it somewhere
Payoff
Is this object problematic, considering its meaning could be interpreted differently across cultures? Why?
Gesture
A bodily movement made by a person.
Signifier
What is the physical motion that equates to a gesture?
Signified
You: What concept(s) does the gesture evoke in you?
Other: What concept(s) could the gesture evoke for someone very different from you?
Sign Type
What type of sign is this?
- Icon: The gesture resembles the concept being signified
- Index: When we experience the gesture, it suggests something else is going on
- Symbolic: The gesture’s makeup is arbitrary, but we know the meaning because we learned it somewhere
Payoff
Is this gesture problematic, considering its meaning could be interpreted differently across cultures? Why?