structuralism
/'strʌktʃərəlizm/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A sociological theory: A theoretical perspective in sociology that posits society and its structures exist prior to and shape the actions and consciousness of individuals.
- An anthropological theory: A theoretical approach in anthropology that seeks to uncover the underlying, often unconscious, structures (e.g., systems of kinship, myth) that organize human culture and generate observable social phenomena.
- A linguistic theory: An approach within linguistics, particularly associated with Ferdinand de Saussure, that analyzes language as a system of formal relationships and structures, where elements derive meaning from their differences within the system.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- In sociology, structuralism argues that social forces determine individual behavior more than personal choice does.
- Claude Lévi-Strauss applied structuralism to anthropology, analyzing myths to find universal patterns of human thought.
- The linguist's work was grounded in structuralism, focusing on the systematic rules of grammar rather than the history of words.
Advanced Usage
- "Post-structuralism": A critical movement that emerged in reaction to structuralism, questioning the stability of meaning and the authority of underlying structures.
- Post-structuralist thinkers like Jacques Derrida challenged the fixed binaries found in classical structuralism.
Variants and Related Words
- Structuralist (adj): Relating to or based on structuralism.
- She took a structuralist approach to analyzing the folktale.
- Structuralist (n): A proponent or practitioner of structuralism.
- The anthropologist was a leading structuralist of his time.
- Structure (n): The arrangement of and relations between the parts or elements of something complex, which is the core concept underlying structuralism.
Synonyms
- Formalism: (In linguistics and literary theory) Emphasis on form, structure, and technique over content.
- Systems theory: An interdisciplinary study of systems as relationships, sharing structuralism's focus on interrelations.
Related Phrases and Concepts
- Binary opposition: A key concept in structuralism where meaning is constructed through paired, opposing concepts (e.g., light/dark, culture/nature).
- Structuralist analysis often reveals how myths are built upon a series of binary oppositions.
- Langue and parole: A Saussurean linguistic distinction central to structuralism, where is the abstract system of language and is individual speech acts.
- Structuralism is primarily concerned with analyzing the system of langue rather than instances of parole.
Noun
- a sociological theory based on the premise that society comes before individuals
- an anthropological theory that there are unobservable social structures that generate observable social phenomena
- linguistics defined as the analysis of formal structures in a text or discourse