Money Talks, but What Is It Saying? Semiotics of Money and Social Control

Abstract

The article with the help of semiotic methodology considers social functions of money. The author provides a brief overview of semiotics, and shows how to establish links between inquiry into meanings and contexts and study of money, putting accent on the analogy between money and language and discussing contributions from Austrian and institutionalist traditions. Marxist approach to the analysis of moneys symbolic meanings is used to show how money becomes discourse of power.