Signs and Symbols: Semiotics in Cognition, Culture, and Communication

Catalog description

What is "semiotics"? Greek for "sign," it is the study of meaning as conveyed through types of signs: symbols, pictures, pointing gestures, writing systems, etc. -- anything used to construct and communicate meaningful thought and action. The cognitive sciences invariably deal with human meaning-making, and thus, "doing" cognitive science is also a form of "doing" semiotics. The same holds for just about all the social sciences and humanities, and some would argue that all forms of knowledge generation are semiotic. The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the systematic study of signals, signs, and sign systems that give rise to meaning. Students will become familiar with theories and methods in semiotics, learning about sign types and their interactions, as well as competing theories and methods. Offered as COGS 390 and COGS 490 . Counts as a Communication Intensive course.