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Structuralism is a way of
thinking about the world which is predominantly concerned with the perceptions
and description of structures. At its simplest, structuralism claims that the
nature of every element in any given situation has no significance by itself,
and in fact is determined by all the other elements involved in that situation.
The full significance of any entity cannot be perceived unless and until it is
integrated into the structure of which it forms a part (Hawkes, p. 11).
Structuralists believe that all human activity is constructed, not natural or
"essential." Consequently, it is the systems of organization that are
important (what we do is always a matter of selection within a given construct).
By this formulation, "any activity, from the actions of a narrative to not
eating one's peas with a knife, takes place within a system of differences and
has meaning only in its relation to other possible activities within that
system, not to some meaning that emanates from nature or the divine"
(Childers & Hentzi, p. 286.). Major figures include Claude Lévi-Strauss, A.
J. Greimas, Roland Barthes, Ferdinand de Saussure, Vladminir Plopp, and Terence
Hawkes. Further reference: R. Selden, P. Widowson, A Reader's Guide to Contemporary Literary Theory, ch. 5. Suggested Websites:
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| © Jan Rybicki 2003 unless otherwise stated. |