STRUCTURALISM

theory of humankind in which all elements of

human culture, including literature, are thought to be parts of a system of signs

elements of culture must be understood in terms

of their relationship to a larger, overarching system or "structure."

the study of the elements of consciousness

 An interdisciplinary approach to all branches of

human knowledge that rejects all ontological and epistemological sources of meaning in favor of an anti-metaphysical approach that posits that all humanistic pursuits are the products of deep structures that predate human consciousness

 ONTOLOGY
the study of being (Plato) eternal essences of things

EPISTEMOLOGY
study of knowing ( Kant) subjective perceptions of essences subjective consciousness is the source of meaning

and truth

ARGUMENT OF STRUCTURALISM TO ONTOLOGY

METAPHYSICAL MEANING, both

philosophical and theological, does not (for the structuralist) process downward from some divine presence, but upward from material structures
KARL MARX religion, philosophy, art and

etc. are products of socio-economic structures

ARGUMENT OF STRUCTURALISM TO EPISTOMOLOGY

Structuralism also rejects the subjective self (or ego) as the final source of meaning
Our individuality, our self, our consciousness is

not the origin of meaning but AGAIN the product the material sources
SIGMUND FREUD believed that UNCONSCIOUS mind is the origin of everything

For the STRUCTURALIST

The REAL origin of MEANING and TRUTH are

the deep structures that are pervasive but are hidden throughout society
Meaning and truth comes from STRUCTURES.

STRUCTURE
1. UNCONSCIOUS rather than conscious
MATERIAL rather than Metaphysical DETERMINISTIC rather than Humanistic

STRUCTURE
2. Not founded on things (elements that have meaning in and of themselves), but are founded on relations between things. Structural meaning rises out of the differences between its constituent parts.
Ex. Compact disc, DNA (CATG)

STRUCTURE
3. complete, logical and all-encompassing are structures are mathematical, logical, systematic

STRUCTURE
4. Not static, but are dynamic Constantly changing

STRUCTURE
5. found in all areas of thought and study

Structuralism in anthropology and sociology

meaning is produced and reproduced within a culture through various practices, phenomena

and activities that serve as systems of signification

study activities as diverse as food-preparation and serving- rituals, religious rites, games, literary and non-literary texts, and other forms of entertainment to discover the deep structures by

which meaning is produced and reproduced within the culture

 explain how many aspects of a particular idea or

physical element can work together to produce the end result

structuralism is predominantly used by social

Anthropologists as they observe particular cultural activities they try to discover and understand the meaning and structure which underlies all the activities they observe

 Bell (1997) gives two main points that produce a backbone

for how structuralism works;

1. Analysis of ritual function and how they facilitate the orderly cooperation of communal life.
rituals evolve as part of the traditions of a society to help

people work together and establish important hierarchies within a community and also strengthen bonds between individuals and groups.

 2. Analysis of the meaning of ritual activity

like the cultural ideas and values that are expressed in the symbols and patterns of activity.
is the idea that within every ritual there is an

underlying meaning or idea that is needed in the culture, whether it be religious or social it is something that holds the community together or even to celebrate an individual.