Structuralism Key Terms and Concepts

Binary oppositions

According to structuralism, we interpret the world by juxtaposing two opposite concepts against each other

Diachronic

Proceeds according to time by considering the order in which characteristics/details appear in a work - Chronological approach

Signifier

Sound-image that represents a concept, - Ex: Sound of Book represents the concept

Referent

The Physical object represented - Physical book, with a bound cover and pages, would be an example

Signified

The concept the sound-image represents - When you "book", you know it refers to a book

Parole

The use of language, which is an utterance or individual instance of language such as a sentence or a poem.

Arbitrary Nature of Language

We choose what each sign in our language means

Intertextuality

Writing or reading a text in relation to another - used by structuralists to gauge how texts fit into the system

Essentialism

Core belief that you believe there is a natural truth or essence behind a belief - rejected by structuralism because we have constructed reality through language

Saussure

Developed the key ideas of structuralism in his book "Course in General Linguistics"

Difference-based reality

Our reality is a system of comparisons and relations that produce meaning.

Langue

Overall System of Language and The Language as a Whole

Synchronic

Proceeding without regard to time, general characteristics without considering the order in which they appear