Structuralism Summary key words

KEY WORDS 

Structure- According to structuralist theorists there's some sort of structure underlying all cultural phenomena. Language has a deep structure, families have a deep structure, literature has a deep structure.

 Signifier- A marker that refers to a specific concept. For instance the concept of a tree, which you are probably imagining right now.

 Signified- The concept that the signifier refers to. The word or signifier "tree" refers to the signified, which is that big green thing in the forest with a trunk and green leaves (a tree).

Sign- A sign is made up of both a signifier and the signified. Both the word "tree", which you are reading right now, and the actual concept of a tree, which you are seeing in your head, make up the sign.

Semiology- A discipline that takes the study of signs as its subject. That includes any kind of sign, not just linguistic -- so body language, traffic lights, and icons would all e considered signs.

Binary opposition- A pair of words or concepts that are opposite in meaning. For instance man/woman. According to structuralist linguists, binary oppositions organise language because so much of the word is understood based on what it isn't.

Discourse- The texts, narratives or statements that make up a connected dialogue. A political speech made by a presidential candidate would be part of the "political discourse." A novel would form part of the literary discourse.

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