Sign Vehicles

Sign Vehicles

Sign vehicles are the ways that a person tells others about themselves without speaking through their appearance and mannerisms. Everyone has a certain style to themselves the signs describe them. Our text tells us that there are three notable sign vehicles for every person: social setting, appearance, and manner. (Henslin, pg 114) The social setting is where the person will spend their time interacting. This could be school, work, a party, or even just going to the mall. The social setting is the background for the other signs and how the person will be perceived. Appearance is how the person dresses, styles their hair, wears makeup, etc. Appearance also includes props such as a businessman carrying a briefcase or a young mother with a diaper bag. Finally manner is the style in which the person plays their particular role. (Henslin) If they are a teenage, they will act like one. A businessman will act like he is a professional man in the workplace and a young couple at the movies will portray a mannerism of happiness together.

It is very possible to change the sign vehicle to make others think one is something they are not. For example: a young teenage girl could dress like an adult woman and wear too much makeup to makeup to try and fit in a college party where she does not belong. Also, there are times that the signs can be misconstrued as well, even when the person wants others to think differently of them. An example of this would be a young college student going in for a job interview dressed in jeans and a tie. He believes that he is dressed appropriately, while the interviewer sees otherwise.

Reference:

Henslin, J. (2008). Sociology: A Down-To-Earth Approach. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.