In this section of my blog I will be discussing one of the seven established traditions of communication theory presented by Robert Craig, University of Colorado Communications department. The tradition is called semiotics. Semiotics is defined as, “the study of verbal and nonverbal signs that can stand for something else, and how their interpretation impacts society” (Griffin, 2008, p.46).
An important aspect of semiotics is the name we assign to things that convey a symbol we then in turn interpret based on our own learned meaning. Let me try and give you an example to better understand what a symbol is. The giving of a red rose, a simple gesture, conveying a term of endearment usually interpreted as romantic in western cultures. The red rose is a symbol of romance. A purple Iris would not convey they same message.
Since we have such a diverse group I am interest to know if there any other representations of love or gestures of romance in your culture that are symbols. So please make a comment, I am curious to know.
References
Griffin, E. (2008). A First Look At Communication Theory. New York, NY: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
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2 comments:
I enjoyed reading about this tradition as well. I took an intriguing class based solely on nonverbal communication. It is amazing how much can be conveyed without even saying a word. Signs and symbols are all around us, and often we take them and their meanings for granted. The socialization process from childhood to adulthood happens almost effortlessly all around us; in the media, from teachers, parents, the "generalized other", and many other things are the sum of our socialization. During this time we learn word association and we assign meanings to signs and symbols. Rather, meanings are often assigned to these signs and symbols for us, not really by us.
I like your example of a rose being a sign for romance. Another sign of romance could be a candle-lit dinner. A wedding ring or a promise ring can also be a sign for romance and love, and even a promise to whomever it is given to.
Like cinderella, I took a class in nonverbal communication (although some time ago). For me, the most interesting part was the use of nonverbal communication in the media, especially advertising. Semiotics highlights messages we take for granted and often don't notice.
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