The Social Sciences, a Semiotic View


Book Description

A consideration of several regional scenarios based on actual, prolonged, outlying climatic events that have occurred recently in North America. No index. The companion volume to On Meaning (Minnesota, 1987), which focused on semiotic theory. These previously published (in French) texts provide a theoretical and methodological framework for studying discourses in the social sciences. Greimas is professor of general semantics at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes in Sciences Sociales in Paris. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR




Semiotic Sociology


Book Description

Semiotic Sociology provides solid ground for cultural analysis in the social sciences by building up a mediation between structuralist semiology (Saussure), pragmatist semiotics (Peirce), and phenomenological sociology (Schutz, Garfinkel, Berger and Luckmann). This is a deviation from the common view that these traditions are seen as mutually exclusive alternatives and thus competitors of each other. The net result of the synthesis is that a new social theory emerges wherein action theories (Weber and rational choice) are based on phenomenological sociology and phenomenological sociology is based on neostructuralist semiotics, which is a synthesis of the Saussurean and the Peircean traditions of understanding habits of interpretation and interaction. The core issues of social research are then addressed on these grounds. The topics covered include the economy/society relationship, power, gender, modernity, institutionalization, the canon of current social theory including micro/macro and agency/structure relations, and the grounds of social criticism.




Universe of the Mind


Book Description

Universe of the Mind A Semiotic Theory of Culture Yuri M. Lotman Introduction by Umberto Eco Translated by Ann Shukman A major book by one of the initiators of cultural studies. "Universe of the Mind is an ambitious, complex, and wide-ranging book that semioticians, textual critics, and those interested in cultural studies will find stimulating and immensely suggestive." --Journal of Communication "Soviet semiotics offers a distinctive, richly productive approach to literary and cultural studies and Universe of the Mind represents a summation of the intellectual career of the man who has done most to guarantee this." --Slavic and East European Journal Universe of the Mind addresses three main areas: meaning and text, culture, and history. The result is a full-scale attempt to demonstrate the workings of the semiotic space or intellectual world. Part One is concerned with the ways that texts generate meaning. Part Two addresses Lotman's central idea of the semiosphere--the domain in which all semiotic systems can function--presented through an analogy with the global biosphere. Part Three focuses on semiotics from the point of view of history. A seminal text in cultural semiotics, the book's ambitious scope also makes it applicable to disciplines outside semiotics. The book will be of great interest to those concerned with cultural studies, anthropology, Slavic studies, critical theory, philosophy, and historiography. Yuri Mikhailovich Lotman is the founder of the Moscow-Tartu School and the initiator of the discipline of cultural semiotics.




A Theory of General Semiotics


Book Description

This book is devoted to the topic of general semiotics. It formulates some of the central laws and parameters of the paradigm of general semiotics, and illustrates them with various examples from branch semiotics – from the systems of semiotics of that are already in use in particular fields of endeavour. These laws and illustrations will prove useful for every distinct instance of branch semiotics, both those that are already well-established and those that will appear in the future.




Bloomsbury Semiotics Volume 3: Semiotics in the Arts and Social Sciences


Book Description

Bloomsbury Semiotics offers a state-of-the-art overview of the entire field of semiotics by revealing its influence on a wide range of disciplinary perspectives. With four volumes spanning theory, method and practice across the disciplines, this definitive reference work emphasizes and strengthens common bonds shared across intellectual cultures, and facilitates the discovery and recovery of meaning across fields. It comprises: Volume 1: History and Semiosis Volume 2: Semiotics in the Natural and Technical Sciences Volume 3: Semiotics in the Arts and Social Sciences Volume 4: Semiotic Movements Written by leading international experts, the chapters provide comprehensive overviews of the history and status of semiotic inquiry across a diverse range of traditions and disciplines. Together, they highlight key contemporary developments and debates along with ongoing research priorities. Providing the most comprehensive and united overview of the field, Bloomsbury Semiotics enables anyone, from students to seasoned practitioners, to better understand and benefit from semiotic insight and how it relates to their own area of study or research. Volume 3: Semiotics in the Arts and Social Sciences presents the state-of-the art in semiotic approaches to disciplines ranging from philosophy and anthropology to history and archaeology, from sociology and religious studies to music, dance, rhetoric, literature, and structural linguistics. Each chapter goes casts a vision for future research priorities, unanswered questions, and fresh openings for semiotic participation in these and related fields.




Semiotic Construction of the Self in Multicultural Societies


Book Description

Semiotic Construction of the Self in Multicultural Societies elaborates on a holistic theory on the self, by means of integrating social representation theory, dialogical self theory and particular ideas from Vygotskyan developmental psychology in one framework. This book sends a humanistic message by indicating the power of inexhaustible human imagination that empowers individuals to strive for knowing the unknown, checking limits of their abilities and challenging (distancing) and at the same time, affectively and semiotically engaging (undistancing and recreating) their heritage cultures. It provides theoretical elaborations and innovations through the example of the case study of Georgian society and particular cases of proculturation. The theoretical and empirical explorations of proculturation experiences allow ways of tracing the rebuilding of the bridges between psychological and anthropological sciences, paving a path towards transdisciplinary approaches. This book will be of great interest to academics, researchers and post-graduate students in the fields of social psychology, semiotics and multicultural studies.




Bloomsbury Semiotics


Book Description

"Bloomsbury Semiotics offers a state-of-the-art overview of the entire field of semiotics from a wide range of disciplinary perspectives. With four volumes spanning theory, method and practice across the disciplines, this definitive reference work comprises: Volume 1: History and Semiosis ; Volume 2: Semiotics in the Natural and Technical Sciences ; Volume 3: Semiotics in the Arts and Social Sciences ; Volume 4: Semiotic Movements. Uniting fragmented disciplines under the framework of semiotic theory, this set emphasizes and strengthens common bonds shared across intellectual cultures, and facilitates the discovery and recovery of meaning across fields. Providing comprehensive overviews of the history and status of semiotic inquiry across a diverse range of traditions and disciplines, chapters are written by leading international experts. Together, they highlight key contemporary developments and debates before casting a vision for future research priorities, identifying unanswered questions and fresh openings for participation. Providing the most comprehensive and united overview of the entire field for semioticians, Bloomsbury Semiotics enables anyone, from students to seasoned practitioners, to better understand and benefit from semiotic insight and how it relates to their own area of study or research."--




On Meaning


Book Description




A Philosophy of Social Sciences


Book Description

Section headings: Philosophy -- Wandering Sages; Anthropology; Social Philosophy; Education; History; Philosophy of Social Psychology; Philosophy of Religion; Philosophy of Law; Philosophy of Economics; Philosophy of Science.