Structuralism is a way of looking at the world that says things only make sense because of how they fit into a system and how they are different from other things in that system. For example, a word like “cat” doesn’t mean anything by itself—it means something because it’s not “dog” or “bat.”
This idea comes from language, where every word is part of a system of signs. A sign has two parts: the signifier (the actual word or sound) and the signified (the idea or image in your mind).
Structuralism says we understand things—like language, stories, or even culture—by looking at the patterns and rules underneath them. These hidden patterns are called structures. A structure is like the overall framework or set of rules that holds everything together and shows how the parts relate to each other. It’s what makes the system work, even if we don’t always notice it.
Structuralists look for binary oppositions (like good vs. evil or light vs. dark) that help organize meaning. The main idea is that we don’t just invent meaning on our own—our thoughts, words, and customs all follow structures we’re part of.
So structuralism helps us see the bigger picture behind the things we usually take for granted.