Structuralism

Question 1

Ferdinand De Saussure (1857-1913)

Answer 1

Structural Linguistics

Question 2

Claude Lévi-Strauss (1908-2009)

Answer 2

“The Elementary Structures of Kinship” (1955); Kinship systems, myths, and rituals could be understood as systems of interconnected elements governed by underlying structures and rules, often in ‘Binary Opposition’ to something that gives it meaning

Question 3

Edmund Leach (1910-1989)

Answer 3

“Political Systems of Highland Burma” = Kachin (1954), Brown’s Student, S. Functionalist (+ Linguistics, psychology, and philosophy), Critique that S. Functionalism overlooks power dynamics, conflicts, and contradictions within social systems; Equilibrium of plurality in systems and actors

Question 4

Victor Turner (1920-1983)

Answer 4

“The Ritual Process” (1969), Rites of passage, ‘Liminality’; ‘Social Drama’ = conflicts follow dramatic structure, with stages of breach, crisis, redress, and reintegration: performative aspects of conflict resolution highlight how conflicts are staged, negotiated, and resolved through symbolic actions; ‘Communitas’ within liminality fostering social cohesion

Question 5

Mary Douglas (1921-2007)

Answer 5

“Purity and Danger: An Analysis of Concepts of Pollution and Taboo” (1966) => Applied structuralist analysis to the study of symbolism, particularly in relation to the body, dirt, and pollution; Women associated with notions of purity and domesticity, men associated with concepts of strength and authority; Purity Beliefs and purification ceremonies or menstrual taboos reinforce traditional gender norms and hierarchies; Examples: domestic/ public spheres clean/ polluted, menstrual taboos, sexual double standards, body image; Explored how cultural categories and symbolic systems structure social life and inform individual behaviour; Feminism: Cultural symbols like Clothing, Language, Rituals, and Occupational Segregation are used to mark and reinforce gender distinctions and hierarchies

Question 6

Key Characteristics

Answer 6

Focus on Structures: abstract patterns or frameworks that shape the organisation and meaning of social phenomena.
Binary Oppositions e.g. nature/culture, raw/cooked, sacred/profane, or male/female
Symbolic/ Semiotic Systems e.g. language, kinship terminology, or religious rituals shaping social life; communication understood as structured networks of signs and meanings that reflect underlying cultural patterns and values.
Universal Structures: shared across cultures and societies - specific cultural manifestations vary, underlying structural principles hold and identified through comparative analysis.
Holism: interconnectedness of different elements within a cultural system.
Synchronic Analysis: study a particular phenomenon at a specific point in time, without considering its historical development.
Formalism: formal analysis over historical or functional explanations identifies abstract structures and principles that govern cultural phenomena, rather than explaining them in terms of historical contingencies or functional adaptations.