The Institutionalization of Semiotics in North America

Abstract

This article presents an overview of the institutionalization of semiotics in North America (United States and Canada), charting its collocation and spread within academia. It looks specifically at current trends and achievements in the teaching of semiotics, the institutions that have been established to make it possible for semioticians to interact professionally with each other, and the publication sources that are available for scholars in the field to document and discuss their ideas and research findings. It also examines schematically the kind of research paradigms that might be perceived as distinguishing North American semiotics from other paradigms. Although the abundant published work by North American semioticians may appear to paint a rosy picture of the state of semiotics on the continent, in reality the discipline continues to struggle for acceptance into mainstream academic life. This essay will also look at the probable reasons behind this.

Keywords

• teaching
• institutions
• dissemination