Interpreting Meaning: An Application of Peircean Semiotics to Tourism

Abstract

In the background of Dean MacCannell's work on tourists lay the semiotic theory of the American philosopher Charles S. Peirce. Peirce's writings are voluminous, at times contradictory and, yet, his theory of semiotics is worth examining for what it can bring to the theorizing of tourism. This paper offers an introduction to Peirce's theory, the essential notion of how signs function, the three parts that constitute a sign -the object, representamen and interpretant -and the way in which the sign relates to its object either iconically, indexically or symbolically. Unlike Saussurian semiotics, which is based in linguistics, Peirce's concept of sign extends beyond the simple arbitrary relationship of a concept to its name and, hence, is far more applicable to explaining how we cognize objects within the physical environment.Résumé: Commentaire: Interpréter le sens: application au tourisme des principes sémiotiques de Pierce Le travail de Dean McCannell sur les touristes repose au fond sur la théorie sémiotique du philosophe américain Charles S. Pierce. Pierce aécriténormément, se contredisant parfois et pourtant on doit tenir compte de sa théorie dans la mesure où elle peut contribuerà une théorisation du tourisme. Cet article introduit la théorie de Pierce, la notion essentielle de la façon dont les signes fonctionnent, les trois parties qui constituent le signe -l'objet, le représenté et l'interprète -et la manière dont le signe se rapporteà l'objet, soit de façon iconique, imagée ou symbolique. Contrairementà la sémiotique saussurienne qui se base sur la linguistique, le concept du signe de Pierce s'étend au-delà de la simple relation arbitraire d'un conceptà son nom, et elle est donc bien plus utileà expliquer comment on perçoit les objets dans l'environnement physique. Den Hintergrund von Dean MacCannell's Arbeit ueber Touristen liefert die semiotische Theorie des amerikanischen Philosophen Charles S.Peirce. Peirce's Veroeffentlichungen sind umfangreich, manchmal widerspruechlich, und trotzdem ist es sinnvoll Peirce's semiotische Theorie auf ihren moeglichen Beitrag in der Tourismusforschung zu untersuchen. Diese Studie bietet eine Einfuehrung in Peirce's Theorie an, in die wesentliche Ansicht wie Zeichen funktionieren, die drei Teile eines Zeichens -Objekt, Representamen, Interpretant -und in die Art und Weise, wie das Zeichen sich zu seinem Objekt entweder ikonisch, indiziert und symbolisch verhaelt. Im Unterschied zur Semiotik von Saussure, die in der Sprachwissenschaft begruendet ist, umfasst Peirce's Konzept von Zeichen mehr als die einfache und willkuerliche Beziehung eines Konzeptes zu seinem Namen, und ist daher viel eher anwendbar, um zu erklaeren, wie wir Objekte in der phyischen Welt wahrnehmen.

The good souvenir: representations of Okinawa and Kinmen islands in Asia

“…Visual research is useful for "determining various commonalities that exist between places of contrasting geographical and historical situations, as well as between different themes" (Paradis, 2002, p. 39). The research method used in this study focuses on the semiotic analysis of lion totems found in Okinawa and Kinmen (Rose, 2003;van Leeuwen, 2003) by using Peirce's extra linguistic sign-object relationship of icon, index and symbol (Metro-Roland, 2009) and the theoretical perspectives discussed in the literature review. Downloaded by [Ams/Girona*barri Lib] at 00:42 01 December 2014 Table 3.…”

“…Some signs that are connotative are further interpreted as synecdochical, indicating the meaning more, a part meaning a whole, or vice versa. An additional analysis was performed by identifying within the continuum Peirce's three kinds of signs: the icon, index and symbol (Metro-Roland, 2009). Lastly, specific signs are fully interpreted in light of the theoretical themes discussed in the literature review.…”

Touring as a Peircean habit

“…While much of the semiotic theory employed today is based in the work of Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure (1959), the semiotics of American Charles Peirce is preferred here (Metro-Roland, 2009. Rather than use a bifurcated sign as did Saussure, Peirce (1998) suggested a tripartite sign comprised of object, representamen and interpretant.…”

“…Secondly, according to Peirce, an object is cognized through its image (the representamen), which is then interpreted (the interpretant). Interpretation is active, it leads to performance (Baerenholdt et al, 2004;Edensor, 2000;Metro-Roland, 2009Rickly-Boyd, et al, 2014;Rickly-Boyd & Metro-Roland, 2010). Interpretation draws heavily upon what Peirce refers to as collateral observation, the accumulated knowledge that we have built up over time.…”

“…Daniel C. Knudsen, Indiana University, USA Jillian M. Rickly, The University of Nottingham Michelle M. Metro-Roland, Western Michigan University, USA Final version available in print: Annals of Tourism Research (2016) Many tourism theoreticians have posited touring as an exercise in semiotics (inter alia Culler, 1981;Echtner, 1999;Frow, 1991;MacCannell, 1976;Metro-Roland 2009;Waterton & Watson, 2014) and the tourism site as sign (Knudsen & Rickly-Boyd, 2012;Lau, 2011). Questions remain, however, concerning the ability of Peircean semiotics (and semiotics more generally) to engage with performance and emotion, both of which are now recognized as fundamental qualities of touring (Baerenholdt, Haldrup, Larsen & Urry, 2004;Edensor, 2000;Rickly-Boyd, Knudsen, Braverman & Metro-Roland, 2014;Rickly-Boyd & Metro-Roland, 2010;Waterton & Watson, 2014).…”