Importance of Semiotics - Essay Example

American Study Semiotics is a field that studies symbols and signs as elements of communicative behavior. It is the analysis of communication systems, such as clothing or language. Semiotics is important because it help people analyze their cultures and the way they fit into the dominating culture. Through semiotics, people can ask questions such as “what does the popularity of certain trends says about the central culture? What do their signs say about them?” The method thus enables Americans to interpret and write effectively about their cultures (Lynd and Lynd 121). It is also useful since it can assist people, not to take “reality” for granted as something that purely exists independent of human interpretation. It teaches people that reality is full of signs integrated into one system. Studying semiotics can help in creating awareness of reality as a construction and of the roles of each person in constructing it. Thus, semiotics is useful in studying the American cultures since people can understand and interpret the reality of cultural differences. An American myth is a belief that, in the perception of the Americans, has nearly been influenced by Enlightenment, a rationalist culture (Lynd and Lynd 102). It, as a result, has a larger component of truth compared to myths of ancient cultures. The American myths draw from all aspects of public life- economic, political, moral, cultural, and more. They create a complex interplay among all these segments, establishing a sense of unity and harmony. The American archetype differs from other humanity forms in that while other cultures start with a fixed way of life-a holy city, a social hearth, a temple- American culture begins when the enclosure is escaped (Lynd and Lynd 151). The primary American archetype is that of the frontier. Americans’ hero is the frontiersman. There is more freedom as compared to other cultures. The Pilgrims and Parks are two emotionally compelling stories. They consist of symbolic details that visualize and bring forth similar messages. They assert that people from across the globe travel to America since it here that the oppressed people can and should stand up for their rights. It is in America where they can get a new kind of freedom that is not available in any other place in the world. In his essay “What We Are to Advertisers,” James Twitchell says that mass production implies mass marketing, and mass marketing implies the establishment of collective stereotypes. He asserts that stereotype profiling in the society not only takes place on gender, race, and personality type but also occurs in advertising cycles as well. Advertisers have found it useful to use stereotyping to pitch their products as per the personality profiles they have concocted for the mass and are often eerily accurate. For example, a marketer will immediately come up with a way of attempting to sell a product to a person based on the way that a person dresses. Twitchell says that advertisers work with eight different stereotypes profiles based on a ‘Values and Lifestyle System’ (VALS2) paradigm according to consumers’ disposable income and taste. The psychographic system consists of ‘Actualizers, Believers, Fulfilled, Achievers, Strivers, Experiencers, Makers, and the Strugglers.’ Actualizers are independent and sophisticated people who take charge of their responsibilities. The Fulfilled are satisfied, comfortable and mature people who mostly support the status quo. The Believers are those who have an interest in traditional family codes, church, and community. They wear recognizable brand manes. The Achievers are successful people who purchase prestigious objects to show their success. The Strivers are not sure of themselves. They may willingly buy a brand if it is a prestigious name brand. Aaron H. Devor brings out the differences between sexuality and gender. Sex is based on the differences in the anatomy of men and women, but does not necessarily match with them. Gender role can be changed without making changes to biological sex characteristics. Biological systems do not determine gender. Rather, the social and cultural structures do so. Gender roles can influence behaviors, such as choice of work, clothing, and relationships. History shows that gender mostly derives from cultural myths about what is proper for men and women to do, think, and enjoy. Thus, the society defines what roles belong to men and women. The dominant gender schema in America leads people to believe that male and female behaviors result from socially directed hormonal instructions that dictate that women will want to give birth. They will hence find themselves dependent on men for protection, security, and support among other elements. The American culture thus is still specifying women as having care roles such as domestic duties and men as having security purposes. Although role-reversal has increased, it is still at a minimal. The society still ridicules a male person that takes up the role of a female person and vice versa. Michael Omi considers race as an identity constructed by the dominating culture of the American society (Lynd and Lynd 132). The social, political, and economic forces mainly consist of people from the popular culture. These forces are responsible for molding, reproducing and sustaining the content and importance of racial categories. The dominant culture uses images, concepts, language, and other symbols to describe people from other cultures and background. They teach their children about these symbols and concepts and ensure that the next generation adheres to these practices. The children thus carry on with the labeling of the other people. Omi asserts that racial meanings are spread in the U.S. society, extending from creating racial identities to the modeling of collective political actions. For example, researchers have found out that black inmates in Houston are more than thrice likely to face a death penalty than whites. A criminologist at the University of Maryland says that racial discrimination is evidenced in the administering of capital penalties in Harris County. Houston, the Texas largest city, is found in the county. The county has conducted 116 executions in the modern era. The figure surpasses any other entire state. The study clearly shows that race often has the central themes of American dominant culture. Works Cited Lynd, Robert S, and Helen M. Lynd. Middletown: A Study in Contemporary American Culture. 2nd ed. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 2001. Print. Read More