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Photo Credit:https://cdn.roostermarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/semiotics-banner.png?strip=all&lossy=1&resize=960%2C600&ssl=1

What is it? Who discovered it? Why is it important?

What is Social Semiotics? According to Admin, for the, "Sign Salad," semiotics is using signs and symbols to create a "meaning" and "interpretation" based on culture and society, which will allow different cultures to establish an unconscious knowledge for navigation. For example, in America, people in society know that a "stop" sign means to stop moving. Over the course of time, people had established this "rule," which had allowed children to establish this knowledge and understanding for what that sign is intended for. "Peirce's Sign Theory, or Semiotic, is an account for signification, representation, reference and meaning," (Atkin, 2022). For Pierce, semiotics influenced his study for logic (Atkin 2022). The reason why this idea is important is since we are able to determine what different signs/symbols mean without having to verbally communicate to someone. If some people were not aware that red means stop and green means go, it could cause fatality. This idea can be used for different brands, for example, when you google a place to eat and you want to know the basic price ranges for that particular place you can look at the money symbol that is provided. ($$$$ means that the place is on the cheaper side) and ($$$$ means that the place is on the expensive side). 

What are some of the rules associated with the methodology?

Some of the rules that are associated with social semiotics are, interest, design and semiotic resources. The interest of the semiotic allows others to be aware of the sign in the first place, they want to know why that sign is in production. Design allows people to have the want to process the sign "get their attention." For example the maker wants people to interpret the right context and understand the expectations for that sign. The last rule associated with semiotics is semiotic resource, meaning how that particular sign affects society overtime (requirements). Some of the other rules that are associated with this methodology are competence, curriculum and engagement. Another rule is to not make your symbols too "broad." This is since if one person were to understand that symbol, that would not benefit a lot of people since that particular symbol only pertained to that one person only. Another set of rules for this methodology is index, symbolic and iconic, according to, "Take online courses (n.d.)". 

Photo Credit:

Cancer Awareness: https://cdn-hapch.nitrocdn.com/HwqYoHMkbYDvcSIJQiqkYFnBRYMeBrwA/assets/static/optimized/rev-3f5ffe9/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Pink.gif

No Smoking: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6b/No_Smoking.svg/2048px-No_Smoking.svg.png

Provide 2 images and analyze them through the social semiotics method.

The first example of a social semiotics method is the cancer awareness ribbon. When thinking about this ribbon, I had come to the conclusion that the shape of the ribbon is the reason why I know what that ribbon stands for. If I were just looking at a picture of a flat ribbon, I would not understand the context/meaning behind it. In society, I was always made aware by peers/family members of this particular symbolism, therefore, society had allowed me to understand and interpret that symbol in a correct manner. Another symbol that applies to the same method is the non-smoking sign. I am able to distinguish that the circle over a smoking symbol means that I am not supposed to smoke. I can also use context clues as to why there should be no smoking allowed, for example of planes and hospitals. Society in America has made this a common rule, therefore generations overtime had slowly accommodated to this general "rule."  

Scholarly Article: 

According to a study that was conducted by Lustig for the, "Social Semiotics of Gangstalking … Belief System," social semiotic practices affected belief systems for people. In order to find this result, the conductors had gotten fifty different videos that were posted onto YouTube and analyzed their videos based on social semiotic principles. The results were described as social semiotics being presented negatively towards traditional systems as well as belief systems. (Link to article at bottom of blog).

Example of Semiotics:

For the top of the photo, see the mostly white colors, this is the part the we will most likely be least "attracted to." In the Left of the photo, it is majority white, which will also most likely have the same results as the top of the photo. The bottom of the photo allows the audience to see the importance of the white, however, since the colors start to pop (which has the bottle to stand out). The right of the photo connects with the audience, by showing what their product can do for your life.

Link to Website that Provided More Information for Social Semiotics: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Five-aspects-of-meaning-in-a-multimodal-social-semiotic-perspective_fig1_326462759

Resources

Admin, S. (2018, June 12). Semiotics explained: Sign salad. SignSalad. Retrieved November 30, 2022, from https://signsalad.com/our-thoughts/what-is-semiotics/

Atkin, A. (2022, August 4). Peirce's theory of signs. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved November 30, 2022, from https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/peirce-semiotics/

Lustig, A., Brookes, G., & Hunt, D. (2021). Social Semiotics of Gangstalking Evidence Videos on YouTube: Multimodal Discourse Analysis of a Novel Persecutory Belief System. JMIR mental health, 8(10), e30311. https://doi.org/10.2196/30311

Take online courses. earn college credit. Research Schools, Degrees & Careers. Study.com | Take Online Courses. Earn College Credit. Research Schools, Degrees & Careers. (n.d.). Retrieved November 30, 2022, from https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-semiotics-definition-examples.html