structuralism

American  

[struhk-cher-uh-liz-uhm] / ˈstrʌk tʃər əˌlɪz əm /

noun

1. any theory that embodies structural principles.

2. structural anthropology.

3. structural linguistics.

4. structural psychology.

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structuralism British  

/ ˈstrʌktʃərəˌlɪzəm /

noun

1. an approach to anthropology and other social sciences and to literature that interprets and analyses its material in terms of oppositions, contrasts, and hierarchical structures, esp as they might reflect universal mental characteristics or organizing principles Compare functionalism

2. an approach to linguistics that analyses and describes the structure of language, as distinguished from its comparative and historical aspects

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Other Word Forms

• antistructuralist noun
• structuralist noun
• structuralistic adjective

Etymology

Origin of structuralism

First recorded in 1945–50; structural + -ism

Example Sentences

One clear example of the post-structuralist critique of structuralism can be found in the debate over psychoanalysis.

From Textbooks • Jun. 15, 2022

In stark contrast to structuralism and its many offshoots, all of which are largely concerned with how literature either supports or subverts institutional power, creative criticism is all about the inner journey.

From Washington Post • Apr. 23, 2015

Later dates have also been argued, and the general perception of film studies and its origins still involves a very 1970s blend of structuralism, semiotics, and psychoanalytic theory.

From The Guardian • Jan. 28, 2011

A history of the humanities in the 20th century could be chronicled in "isms" — formalism, Freudianism, structuralism, postcolonialism — grand intellectual cathedrals from which assorted interpretations of literature, politics and culture spread.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 18, 2010

“Lévi-Straussian structuralism rushed into the ensuing ideological vacuum — except that structuralism, as a detached, abstract science of culture, was itself a kind of vacuum,” he writes.

From New York Times • Oct. 17, 2010