Communication Science vs. Semiotics :: Communication Science

Communication acquaintance vs. SemioticsMarcel Danesi says that communication theorists generally focus more on the study of message-making as a process, whereas semioticians center their attention more on what a message means and on how it creates meaning (Messages and Meanings An Introduction to Semiotics, 1994). He implies that both communication knowledge and semiology atomic number 18 systematic studies of signs. Interestingly, Danesi comments that semiotics studies signification first and communication second.Danesis definitions and distinctions almost communication science and semiotics captured my interest because of the way he draws the line between to areas of study that are very closely related. In this paper I will subdue to elaborate on those differences. I have to admit that until now I am not completely convinced about the way to screw among semiotics and communication science. However, I believe that it is worth the effort. Reflection about these topics will he lp me and possibly the reader to understand them better.We are in broad information age. The bridge playerling of information is definitely the main moneymaking(prenominal) activity of our days. We are all consumers of information at different levels. around of us also have to either manage, process, market, deliver or convey information as a way of living. Information is wrapped in all kinds of packages, or better said it is delivered through all kinds of media. completely kinds of messages are delivered to all kinds of audiences.Information is the core element of communication science and probably of semiotics as well. I consider information to be the raw material for message construction and the creation of meaning. Signs are a collection of bits and pieces of information. Information is what we decipher from signs. Notice that decoding has to be performed because both(prenominal) sort of coding is always a part of the creation of a sign. Even iconic signs which are a direc t representation of a referent as defined by Danesi, have to be encoded in order to make them deliverable through any given medium. allow us take for example a crest as a referent. An iconic representation of a flower could be a hand drawing, a painting or a color picture. From the least iconic (the drawing) to the most iconic (the color picture) representation coding of information (i.e. shape, texture, color) is unavoidable to create a sign. A perfume that smells like a flower is also an iconic representation of the real object.