Introducing Social Semiotics: An Introductory Textbook

Social Semioticsis a lively introduction to the ways in which different aspects of modern society combine to create meaning. These "semiotic resources" surrounding us include obvious modes of communication such as language, gesture, images and music, but also less obvious ones such as food, dress and everyday objects, all of which carry cultural value and significance. Social Semioticsuses a wide variety of texts including photographs, adverts, magazine pages and film stills to explain how meaning is created through complex semiotic interactions. Practical exercises and examples-as wide ranging as furniture arrangements in public places, advertising jingles, photojournalism, and the rhythm of a rapper's speech-provide readers with the knowledge and skills they need to be able to analyze and also produce successful multimodal texts and designs. The book traces the development of semiotic resources through particular channels such as the history of the press and advertising; andexplores how and why these resources change over time, for reasons such as advancing technology. Featuring a full glossary of terms, exercises, discussion points and suggestions for further reading,Social Semioticsmakes concrete the complexities of meaning making and is essential reading for anyone interested in how communication works.

Theo van Leeuwen is Professor at the Centre for Language and Communication Research at Cardiff University, UK.