The Schedule
James Ashley
Semiotics'. To that end, we will work within the constraints of a
reading schedule. The schedule is built around the notion that we can
read approximately 30 to 50 pages every two weeks. Discussions and
reading will be staggered, such that while a reading period will begin
the first day of a two week period, discussion ought to start on the
first day of the second week and extend into the first week of the
next reading period.
This will make it easier to know where other people are in their
reading and, consequently, what we can expect others to be familiar
with as well as what we really need to explain carefully if we are
reading ahead.
The same general structure applies to bringing in relavent works from
outside -- for instance, Saussure, C.S. Pierce, Giambattista Vico --
that have a bearing on Semiotics. Bringing these things into the
discussion is always good as long as we go to the trouble of
explaining their thoughts carefully and do not make the assumption
that everyone is familiar with what we are familiar with.
We will delay the schedule for one week to give those interested time
to purchase their copies of 'A Theory of Semiotics' and have it
delivered. We will complete the book by July 4th.
As a primer, here is the wikipedia article on Semiotics:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semiotics
And here is a list of relevant articles from the Stanford Encyclopedia
of Philosophy: http://plato.stanford.edu/search/searcher.py?query=semiotics
Somewhat arbitrarily, here is an article that might point to why
semiotics has a bearing on technology:
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/25/why-cant-pcs-work-more-like-iphones/?src=twt&twt=nytimesbits
THE SCHEDULE:
03/21 - 03/27: Purchase books
03/28 - 04/10: Read the Introduction 04/03 - 04/17: Discuss the
Introduction
04/11 - 04/24: Read Signification and Communication 04/18 - 05/1
Discuss Intro, chapt. 1
04/25 - 05/08: Chpt: 2.1 - 2.10
05/09 - 05/22: Chpt. 2.11 - 2.15
05/23 - 06/05: Chpt: 3.1 - 3.5
06/06 - 06/19: Chpt: 3.6 A typology of the modes of production
06/20 - 07/03: Chpt: 3.7 - 4.0
FIN