Semiotics is the study of signs and how we interpret their meanings. A sign can be any physical object that has meaning. There are three areas of study in semiotics: the sign itself, the system in which signs are organized, and the culture where the signs operate. Saussure argued that the meaning of a sign comes from its relationship to other signs within the system. Barthes expanded on this by proposing two levels of interpreting signs - the obvious or denotative meaning, and the connotative meaning of cultural associations.

1. Semiotics and Sociology ***The study of relationship between sign and how we interpret them***What is semiotics? The word 'semiotics' comes from the Greek word semeion meaning 'sign'. Semiotics, or 'semiology', is the study of signs and meanings. For the purposes of such study a sign is any physical object with a meaning. It has a particular interest to media studies when it comes to analysis of print and film. Three areas of study the sign - the picture, object, sound the system into which signs are organised the culture wihtin which these signs operateSaussure Saussure was a structuralist and his work developed many of the ideas associated with semiotics. According to this view, the place of a sign within the overall system gives meaning. Others such as Pierce believe that the creation of meaning from signs is a continual process and is subject to change. From this perspective humans interpret signs and act accordingly. For Saussure signs have two parts: signifier - the actual image, physical appearance or sound signified - the idea or ideas to which the sign refers.Roland Barthes developed this theory to include the interaction of humans with signs. He proposed two levels of 'reading' signs: The first: denotation - the obvious meaning. For example, a rose is a pretty-looking flower with a strong scent. The second: connotation - the associations created in the minds of those interacting with the sign. For example, a red rose connotes romance and the presentation of a red rose to someone connotes romantic affection. The context can alter the meaning, though: a red rose may also now connote a political party.