Assignments: Batch One: Assignment 2

Differentiate, illustrate and critically discuss the use and significance of symbolic, iconic and indexical relations in British road signs.

Guidance

For general guidance about what is expected in your essays for this module, see the general criteria.

What Key Features Do I Look For?

  • Familiarity with relevant texts
  • Evidence - the stronger the better
  • Argument - coherent and balanced
  • Theoretical discussion - relation to relevant theories
  • Understanding of relevant concepts
  • Reflexivity - reflections on methodology
  • Examples - insightfully analysed
  • Style - readability and effective presentation

Please remember to avoid footnotes and to include an alphabetical list of 'References' which have been cited in the text (not a Bibliography of anything you have read for the essay). This list should include author's names, date, book titles (in italics), place of publication and publisher. Within the text always cite author's surname, date and page number. Double-space your text and number your pages. For more detailed notes on writing essays in this department, click here.

Advice for this particular assignment: The most relevant lectures for this topic are Lecture 2: Relative Arbitrariness and Lecture 4: Codes.

A useful and official online source of British road signs is here.

Demonstrate your understanding of the most relevant semiotic issues and concepts, including the symbolic, iconic and indexical modes and relative arbitrariness. However, avoid 'explaining' these terms since the reader obviously knows what they mean! Make it clear (briefly: one sentence is enough) that you are aware that these concepts come from Peirce, even though you are following the common practice of using the Saussurean terms 'signifier' (to refer to the physical form of the sign) and 'signified' (to refer to the concept or referent for which it stands). Do not slip into referring to symbols, icons and indexes as 'types' of signs (rather than as relations between the signifier/sign and the signified/referent): an image, for instance, can be simultaneously symbolic, iconic and/or indexical, although one mode tends to be dominant. However, the road signs themselves can be divided into groups reflecting the relative dominance of particular semiotic modes, so show what you think these groups might be. Note that on one level, all public signage is conventional (and thus semiotically symbolic) as part of a system of signs (a code), and that insofar as a sign is only relevant by virtue of its location it is also to that extent indexical. Remember also that just because an image resembles something that you recognise does not necessarily make it iconic - the resemblance may not relate directly to what the sign is intended to signify.

Work within the conceptual framework (and key terms) provided by the lecture slides and the book, Semiotics: The Basics. If you adopt concepts and frameworks from other sources you may get confused (especially since some sources actually get key details wrong!). As long as you stay within this framework you are of course expected to show that you have also consulted other relevant sources.

Note also that this is an assignment for which the inclusion of relevant pictorial illustrations is expected. Remember to include a list labelled either Figures or Image sources after your list of References.

Some suggested reading

Note: Treat with extreme caution sources labelled with this symbol!


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