Semiotics is sometimes provisionally divided to general semiotics and applied semiotics. Some authors use the terms “general” and “special” semiotics.
1.4.1 General Semiotics
General semiotics is the broad, theoretical study of signs and sign systems. It encompasses the fundamental principles, theories, and frameworks that explain how signs operate and how meaning is generated and interpreted across all forms of communication.
General semiotics follows universal principles of semiotics, and seeks to identify and understand them. The universal principles are expected to govern all sign systems, whether linguistic, visual, auditory, or gestural. In order to do that, the General Semiotic approach develops and refines semiotic theories that can be applied to any form of communication. Some of these theories are about the nature of signs, the process of semiosis (sign interpretation), and the relationships between signifier and signified.
1.4.2 Applied semiotics
Applied semiotics studies the practical application of semiotic theories and methods. Applied semiotics analyze and solve real-world problems in specific contexts. It takes the general principles of semiotics and uses them to interpret and create meaning in various fields such as media, marketing, design, and cultural studies. The number of fields applied semiotics could be used in is infinite. This is so, as applied semiotics studies the characteristics of specific semiotic systems.
For example:
- Semiotics of Architecture
- Semiotics of literature
- Semiotics of photography
- Semiotics of cinema
- Semiotics of the heraldic
- Semiotics of Fashion
And so on.
Some scientists call these “mini-semiotics”. Others call it the grammar of a specific sign system.
The subject of interest of the applied semiotics could be either a whole sign system or a part of it. For example, we can either study the semiotics of photography or the semiotics of advertisement photography.
On the other hand, the approach to it could be pragmatical, semantic, or syntactic.
Another difference between the general and applied semiotics is that the latter could be theoretical but also applied, unlike the general semiotics which is theoretical only.
According to Charles Morris, semiotics can be divided into three parts. Namely, “pure” semiotics, which is currently called general semiotics., “descriptive” semiotics, which is applied-theoretical and practical semiotics which also can be called applied-practical semiotics.
General and applied semiotics are in a dialectical unity, says Umberto Eco. He also adds that the field of general semiotics enlarges quantitatively and qualitatively, the more applied research is being made.
General semiotics studies the human sign system in its entirety – meaning, language, and language is what defines humans as symbol animals.
It is interesting to point out that semiotics studies language through language. Meaning, that as semiotics studies the human sign systems, it causes changes in them.
