Structuralism
Understanding Structuralism Structuralism emerged as a prominent intellectual movement in the early to mid-20th century, spanning across disciplines such as anthropology, linguistics, literary theory, sociology, and psychology. At its core, structuralism is a theoretical approach that seeks to uncover the underlying structures that organize human experiences, behaviors, and cultural phenomena. Origins and Key Thinkers The roots of structuralism can be traced back to the work of Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure, whose ideas laid the foundation for the structural analysis of language. Saussure introduced the concept of the signifier (the word or symbol) and the signified (the concept or meaning), highlighting that meaning is derived from the relationships between signs rather than the signs themselves. This linguistic structuralism formed the basis for later developments in other disciplines. Another pivotal figure in the development of structuralism is French anthropologist Claude L...