sTRUCTURALISM

STRUCTURALISM

is a way of approaching texts and practices that is derived from the theoretical work of the Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure.

Ferdinand de Saussure

proponents structuralism

TWO DIVISIONS OF LANGUAGE

• Langue

• Parole

Langue

refers to the system of language, the rules and conventions that organize it

Parole

refers to the individual utterance, the individual use of language.

TWO THEORETICAL APPROACHES TO LINGUISTICS

• Diachronic Approach

• Synchronic Approach

Diachronic Approach

which studies the historical development of a given language

Synchronic Approach

which studies a given language one moment in time.

FOUR TYPES OF FEMINISM

• Radical Feminists

• Marxist Feminist

• Liberal Feminism

• Dual-systems Theory

Radical Feminists

argue that women’s oppression is the result of the system of patriarchy

Marxist Feminist

analysis the ultimate source of oppression is capitalism. 

Liberal Feminism

it tends to see the problem in terms of male prejudice against women, embodied in lower expressed the exclusion of women from specific areas of life. 

Dual-systems Theory

represents the coming together of Marxist and radical feminist analysis in the belief that women's oppression is the result of a complex articulation of both patriarchy and capitalism

Christine Gledhill (2009)

advocates a feminist cultural studies which relates commonly derided popular forms to the condition of their consumption in the lives of sociohistorical constituted audiences’.

Bell Hooks’ “Finding a Voice”

It is also, and perhaps more fundamentally so, a political movement concerned with women’s oppression and the ways and means to empower women.

Bell Hooks (1989) and Christine Gledhill (2009)

proponents feminism

Queer Theory

provides a discipline for exploring the relationships between lesbians, gay men and the culture which surrounds and (for the large part) continues to seek to exclude us.

Paul Burston and Colin Richardson

proponents Queer Theory

Simone de Beauvoir

stated the quote ‘one is not born a woman, but, rather, becomes one’

Biological Sex (‘nature’)

referred to as birth sex,natal sex, biological sex or sex; however, sexassigned at birth is the recommended term

Gender (‘culture’)

the characteristics of women, men, girls and boys that are socially constructed.

Cultural Materialism

It emphasizes the material conditions and practices that shape culture. He argued against the separation of "high" and "low" culture, encouraging a more inclusive approach that considers the entire range of cultural expressions and their social context.

Raymond Williams

proponents CULTURALISM and Cultural Materialism

MATERIAL CONDITIONS

Understanding the material conditions of ordinary people provides insights into the lived experiences that shape cultural meanings.

ECONOMIC FACTORS

influence the availability of resources, the means of cultural production, and the distribution of cultural products.

SOCIAL STRUCTURES

shape how cultural practices are developed, disseminated, and consumed. They also influence the access that different social groups have to cultural resources

POLITICAL CONTEXT

The state and political institutions can impact cultural expression through censorship, state-sponsored art, and policies that either support or restrict certain cultural practices.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Cultural forms are situated in specific historical contexts, and changes in material conditions over time can lead to shifts in cultural practices and meanings. Examining the historical context helps us understand the development and evolution of cultural forms.

SOCIAL PRACTICES

Manifestation of material conditions in everyday practices, Engagement and interpretation of cultural products

MARXISM

examines how cultural products, such as movies, music, literature, and other forms of entertainment, reflect and perpetuate the existing social and economic structures.

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels

proponents marxism and Socio-political and Economic Theory 

Socio-political and Economic Theory

Analysis of class struggle and the relationship between the proletariat (working class) and the bourgeoisie (capitalist class). 

In the context of Popular Culture

This perspective sees popular culture as a tool for ideological control to reinforce dominant narratives supporting the capitalist system.