signandenactment

Signandenactment is a term used in semiotics and sociology of law to describe the linked stages by which a sign—such as a word, symbol, gesture, or slogan—transmits meaning, gains recognition, and is subsequently embedded in durable social action through formal enactment by institutions or authorities. The concept emphasizes a twofold movement: signification (the creation and circulation of signs) and enactment (the formal adoption, enforcement, or institutionalization of those signs into procedures, laws, or policies).

Process and scope: The sequence typically involves (1) creation and dissemination of a sign, (2) interpretation and uptake by communities, (3) political or institutional decision to enact controls or norms, and (4) implementation and normalization, reinforced by enforcement and culture. This framing allows analysis of how discourse becomes governance.

Examples: A political slogan that gains legislative support and becomes law; medical guidelines that are published and then embedded into hospital policy; digital or environmental standards that start as signifiers and later require compliance regimes.

Analytical relevance: Signandenactment is used to examine how discourse and power shape not only meanings but also the architecture of governance. It highlights tensions when signs are contested or when enacted rules diverge from intended signification, and it invites attention to delays, distortions, or instrumental uses of signs in policy.

Relation to other concepts: It intersects with performativity, discursive institutionalism, and the sociology of law. Etymology: a portmanteau of sign and enactment, signaling the inseparability of representation and regulatory action.