What is the theme in Signs of Life in the U.S.A. by Sonia Maasik?

This book uses the semiotic method to teach critical thinking and writing skills. This semiotic method is also a theme that runs throughout the book since it is the approach used for each of the different components of popular culture. The semiotic approach is based on finding and interpreting meanings. Every cultural activity, whether it is a hairstyle or a song, has a meaning and sends a message. The semiotic method means finding the sign and ascertaining its message.

Since there is a sign or message attached to every cultural activity, the student must learn to determine what these signs are and what they mean. Sign are usually commercial or political, but they can be making other kinds of statements about the world and the individual's place in that world. These signs define male-female relationships and roles. How is the little girl always taught to be passive and gentle? How is she taught to be a consumer by playing with Barbie dolls?

Once the signs and their meaning are determined, one can look at the roles that males and females play. How are woman portrayed in various media and why? Where does the gender coding come from? What are the codes attached to various objects like the Volkswagen Beetle? The student has to do a little research on the history of the Beetle to learn this information. How do these signs change over time and why is another interesting subject. The semiotic approach is used for all of these forms of analysis.