quick assignment

  
Using a semiotic approach, write about a sign in 2-3 well-developed paragraphs.  First, choose a sign that has at least two different signifieds. Explain two different signifieds for your chosen signifier (this should be your thesis, as in something like, “The ____ logo, depending on the context, can mean either Y or Z.”).  You cannot use an example used in the video, and you cannot use simply a single word with two different definitions.   Your thesis should state the different meanings attached to the same signifier (such as a logo, a hand signal, a phrase, a title, etc.), and the rest of the paper should explain how those meanings are constructed differently—is it a result of culture?  Of context?  Of history? What makes the same signifier signify two (or more) different meanings? Outside sources are not necessary. You should choose a signifier that you know well enough to explain at least two different significations. 

   
Sample thesis:
“A swastika can signify either racism or artistic expression, depending on the age and context of the sign.” (examples: Nazi uses of the swastika as a white supremacist tool OR the lobby of Indiana University’s physical education building (below), used as an artistic symbol because it was built in 1917 before the Nazis existed)