The Oxford Dictionary defines semiotics as “the study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation”. But according to Charles Sanders Peirce it can be divided into three categories. The first is syntax, which relates signs to each other. The second is semantics, which relates signs to things in the world. The third is pragmatics, which relates signs to the agents who use them (Sowa). I became primarily interested in this topic because it is the topic I am most familiar with given my reading history. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Semiotics is an interpretation of how language works or a theory of language. It is the study of how signs can be created, interpreted, and modified such that meaning is derived from those signs. Like the other two examples given (social constructionism and linguistic relativity), semiotics examines the creation and use of language, the users of language, and how language represents or relates to the overall world. By looking at the structure of language, one is able to see more clearly the origins of problems that arise in the world due to a different point of view. Many times the interpretation of language can become a source of problem (or at least one aspect of it). Theories of language approach the problem the same way: by examining the language surrounding the problem. But the way the language is examined is different. An interesting issue in the United States is gun control. Firearms are intricately woven into the history and culture of this country, more than any other. Many cite the Constitution's Bill of Rights stating that firearms are an essential right. Others describe the weapons as weapons of destruction. They view the gun more as a necessary evil that should be controlled. Both sides use rhetoric to make their case by tying guns to patriotism, using sensational news stories, using scare tactics, and more. The gun as a symbol comes to represent different things to different people. Compromise is often lacking because both sides assume the absolute worst for the other; moderate opinions are often stifled. The gun myth is especially fascinating to those like me who haven't always been in this country. I believe that by examining the framework of the problem we can also better understand the problem itself.