Structuralism vs. Post-Structuralism

Summary

This lecture distinguishes between structuralism and post-structuralism, highlighting their contrasting views on reality and meaning. Structuralism, influenced by thinkers like Saussure and Barthes, posits a fixed system of meaning influenced by societal structures. Post-structuralists, including Foucault and Hall, challenge this by emphasizing the constructed nature of discourse and the multiplicity of truths, advocating for the recognition of diversity and the potential to challenge dominant ideologies.

Takeaways

• 🏛️ Structuralism posits that there exists a fixed, real world with a coherent system upon which meaning is constructed.
• 🌐 Structuralists like Ferdinand de Saussure and Roland Barthes believed in universal truths that explain everything.
• 🔍 Structuralism was criticized for supporting monolithic institutions that control all meaning, purpose, and action.
• 🤔 Post-structuralism questions the existence of a concrete reality and emphasizes constructed discourse within society.
• 🗣️ Post-structuralists like Foucault and Stuart Hall argue that meanings are not fixed but shift based on discourse.
• 🎭 Post-structuralism focuses on the polysemy of media artifacts, which possess multiple meanings depending on creator intent and audience reception.
• 🌈 Post-structuralism allows for the observation and analysis of differences among social and cultural phenomena.
• 💪 It encourages struggles against dominant meanings, potentially leading to the transformation of institutionalized thinking.
• 🧩 Unlike structuralism, post-structuralism views human existence as malleable and accounts for differences in social and cultural formations.
• 🔑 The ultimate goal of post-structuralism is to return agency to the subject while acknowledging the power of institutional power structures.

Q & A

What is structuralism?

Structuralism is a theoretical approach that acknowledges the existence of a fixed, real world where ideas rest upon a bedrock of material relations, whether they be human social, economic, or a combination of the three. It posits that there exists a coherent system upon which meaning is constructed in a similar fashion for most individuals.

Who are some key figures in structuralism?

Key figures in structuralism include Ferdinand de Saussure, Louis Althusser, and Roland Barthes.

What does structuralism believe about the nature of truth and meaning?

Structuralism believes in universal truths that explain everything and that there are overarching systems that place limits on all truth, thought, and meaning for the majority of the world's societies.

What is the criticism of Louis Althusser's ideas?

Louis Althusser was criticized for his belief that powerful institutions, or his ideological State apparatuses (ISAs) and repressive State apparatuses (RSAs), had the power to structure the thoughts of all individuals in a society, regardless of social factors.

How does post-structuralism differ from structuralism?

Post-structuralism doubts the existence of a concrete reality and emphasizes that ideas and our ideas about the world depend upon constructed discourse in society. It argues that universal truth, if it exists, is unknowable because of the existence of multiple truths.

Who are some proponents of post-structuralism?

Proponents of post-structuralism include thinkers like Michel Foucault, Stuart Hall, and Jacques Lacan.

What does post-structuralism focus on regarding media artifacts?

Post-structuralism focuses on the polysemy of media artifacts, meaning that artifacts such as television shows, films, or art pieces possess multiple meanings depending on the intent of the creator and the reception by diverse audiences.

What is the main argument of post-structuralism about the nature of meaning?

Post-structuralism argues that meanings are not fixed and are forever shifting, not static. It highlights the ambiguity and tension within discourse.

How does post-structuralism view the role of institutions in society?

Post-structuralism allows for the presence of difference among social and cultural phenomena to be observed and analyzed. It also discusses the possibility of struggles against dominant meanings, which can lead to challenging or destroying institutionalized ways of thinking and doing.

What is the ultimate goal of post-structuralism?

The ultimate goal of post-structuralism is to return agency to the subject who operates within the structure, while acknowledging the power of institutional power structures of domination over individuals and communities.

How does post-structuralism view the malleability of human existence?

Post-structuralism views the malleability of human existence as a way in which our differences account for new ways of looking at social and cultural formations, as well as the complex ways institutions function in society.