structural school

Structuralism

Structuralism is a philosophical tradition found within linguistics, psychology, sociology, anthropology and semiotics. The term ‘structuralism’ comes from the Latin word ‘structura’ which refers to the arrangement of a number of components forming a specific system. Within structuralism there is a tendency to advocate the objectivity over subjective judgement and to advocate the universality of knowledge over the relativism of individual perspective.

Structuralism is concerned with trying to study phenomena via analysis of structures. It attempts to find the underlying structures that hold together things as a single unit. Structuralism is not concerned with things in their existence as individuals; it is concerned with their relationship to each other. In this way structuralism is the opposite of the more traditional individualistic approaches to the study of philosophy and science.

In linguistics, structuralism is concerned with the structure of language and the ideologies that are embedded within it. It has been argued by structuralists, such as Ferdinand de Saussure, that language is not simply a means of communication but rather a mode of thought. Structuralists look at how language is used, in various contexts and by various speakers, as a way to try and understand the underlying structures in communication and language.

In psychology, structuralism is concerned with the structure of the unconscious mind and its effect on the individual. Sigmund Freud believed that the unconscious was responsible for the repression of certain desires and that the structures of the unconscious mind had the power to drive individual behaviour. Psychoanalytical techniques have been used to try and access the unconscious mind and its structures.

In anthropology, structuralism looks at social and cultural structures. It studies the beliefs and norms that are embedded within society and the way that these beliefs and norms shape the behaviour of individuals. It also looks at how certain relationships between individuals, such as power and authority, shape the dynamics between people.

In semiotics, structuralism is concerned with the study of signs and the different meanings that are given to them. Structuralists, such as Roman Jakobson, believe that signs do not just express one idea but rather a collection of ideas and that in order to understand the meaning of a particular sign it is necessary to look at the context it is presented in.

Structuralism has been influential in many areas of study, from linguistics to sociology and from psychology to semiotics. Its influence has been seen in the development of objectivity and the universality of knowledge that the structuralist approach advocates. It has also been argued that the structuralist approach is needed in order to understand the deeper meanings and structures embedded within language, communication and society.

Structuralism is a school of thought within the communication studies that began in the 1920s and delved into the structure of language with a view of understanding how elements of communication worked and interacted within a system. It is the belief that a language has a structure and that a persons understanding of a language and knowledge of that language is based on how that language is structured. Structuralism evolved from the structural linguistics of Ferdinand de Saussure and views language as a structure made of many parts, each of which interacts with the other for the purpose of creating meaning.

Structuralism is a way of looking at the world that moves away from the philosophy of a linear narrative, in which a story is told and each bit of information builds on the next. Instead, the Structuralists argued that all elements of a language are interconnected and, taken together, form the structure of a language that creates meaning. To illustrate, they used the example of a chair, in which each part works together to create the whole, even in the absence of a narrative. However, in language, the structure not only determines meaning, but also contributes to the overall context of communication.

In terms of language studies, the Structuralists strive to understand the underlying rules of grammar and various categories of speech. They also attempt to identify the larger structure of elements that create meaning in language, including syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. Structuralism focuses on breaking language up into smaller parts in order to discover how they are connected, rather than looking at language as a whole.

Structuralism is a key theory used in communication studies and has had a significant influence on many fields, including linguistics, anthropology, sociology, and psychology. Despite its relevance to many disciplines, Structuralism has been criticized for its rigid focus on structure, which has been argued to overlook important issues such as diversity and context. Despite the criticism, Structuralism remains an important approach to understanding communication.