Structuralism and Semiotics: WTF? Saussure, Lévi-Strauss, Barthes and Structuralism Explained

Рет қаралды 261,854

Күн бұрын

Structuralism is a form of literary theory which, inspired by semiotics and the linguistics of Ferdinand de Saussure, emerged in France in the 1950s. In this week’s episode of What the Theory?, we take a look at how structuralism and structuralist theory enable us to identify the underlying structures which inform how literature, film, performance, visual art and all other forms of cultural text are created and read.
If you’re look for semiotics and structuralism explained simply and engagingly then, hopefully, this might be the video you’re looking for!
Also, if you’d like to get your hands on a copy of the script to this video with footnotes and references to pour over to your heart’s content then check out my Patreon at [ / tomnicholas ](kzfaq.info?q=ht...)
We begin by looking at genre as a form of structuralist analysis before taking a brief overview of Saussure’s notion of diachronic and synchronic linguistics and his suggestion that it is only possible to understand an individual use of language (which he calls parole) by understanding the wider linguistic system of which it is a part (something Saussure calls langue).
We then take a look at how various literary theorists including Claude Levi-Strauss, Roland Barthes, Vladimir Propp and (very briefly) Michel Foucault have taken used structuralist linguistics as a basis for literary and cultural analysis. Distinguishing between “high structuralism” and “low structuralism”, we take a look at poetics and the pursuit of a consistent narrative structure of myth as well as looking at Roland Barthes’ notion of cultural codes and cultural myths as he outlines them in his 1957 book Mythologies.
Further Reading
Structuralism and Semiotics by Terence Hawkes
US: amzn.to/2JRlCgd
UK: amzn.to/2ykzh9b
Mythologies by Roland Barthes
US: amzn.to/2YhNnTc
UK: amzn.to/2Mda7kI
Myth and Meaning: Cracking the Code of Culture by Claude Levi-Strauss
US: amzn.to/2y8cJYO
UK: amzn.to/2K00dAb
[The above are affiliate links. I receive a small kickback from anything you buy which, in turn, helps to support the channel.]
If you’ve enjoyed this video and would like to see more including my What The Theory? series in which I provide some snappy introductions to key theories in the humanities as well as PhD vlogs in which I talk about some of the challenges of being a PhD student then do consider subscribing.
Thanks for watching!
Twitter: @Tom_Nicholas
Website: www.tomnicholas.com

Пікірлер: 295

@Tom_Nicholas 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching all! A slightly tough topic this week but an important part of literary and cultural theory. As always, if you like my stuff, I’d super appreciate you checking out my Patreon at patreon.com/tomnicholas

@irenesartika8222 4 жыл бұрын

Is there a video you make about CDA?

@OjoRojo40 4 жыл бұрын

Great video as usual, but I'm hear to be the pedantic asshole correcting french pronunciation. "Langue" is pronounced as in "Long".

@mE-zx7pt 3 жыл бұрын

Have you read Camille Pagia's writings? What are your thoughts on her attitude towards Foucault, Lacan & post-structuralism, etc.? Thank you for your videos!

@firstlast-cs6eg 3 жыл бұрын

12:58 I would expect a cat to hiss at a vacuum cleaner. Cat's aren't fond of loud noises and vacuums are usually pretty loud. They usually just flee them, but it would make sense for a cat to hiss at one too. Comparatively it would be strange for a cat to hiss at a mouse. Cats hiss as a threat, meaning they find what they hiss at, a threat. Mice aren't usually considered threats by cats. Lion would likely be considered a threat and be hissed at. Overall I don't see any bases for this argument of how we read words. We consider the whole meaning of the sentence. For example "He chopped up some bark" One would not expect someone to be chopping bark, but it's still a innocuous statement. "He chopped up some orphans" Similar lack of expectation for this to be the ending, but obviously has a more sinister implication. If with wider context the "orphans" were chickens who's parents are dead (thus orphans) the meaning changes again.

@OjoRojo40 3 жыл бұрын

@Carlos B I have no idea why did I post that message (now that I read it again). I must have been bored to dead, because indeed it sounds pedantic and stupid. Cheers mate, take care!

@ndfricano 4 жыл бұрын

As one of my professors once said, the whole structuralist approach could be summarised in one postulate: "the complexity of reality is based upon simple structures"

@Tom_Nicholas 4 жыл бұрын

That’s an awesome way to phrase it, I wish I had the evolution to come up with turns of phrase like that!

@butterflymoon6368 Жыл бұрын

and what did they say about poststructuralism?

@guteksan Жыл бұрын

@@butterflymoon6368 Simple: "The complexity of reality is based upon simple poststructures" ;)

@drapala97 4 жыл бұрын

Your channel has such a great quality! You have a proffessoral vocation, your explanations are clear, concise and dynamic. The videos are very well edited. Thank you!

@Tom_Nicholas 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you very much for saying so, that means a lot!

@drapala97 4 жыл бұрын

My pleasure!

@DonnaSnyder 3 жыл бұрын

Agreed.

@bazingacurta2567 2 жыл бұрын

Agreed. I like this guy a lot.

@jkRatbird 3 жыл бұрын

At one point in this video I got shivers, when it finally fell into place for me how Noam Chomsky’s work as a linguist connects to broader political analysis and activism. Thank you!

@JohnMoseley 3 жыл бұрын

That's a KZfaq video in itself waiting to be made, maybe an essay or a book. I've never seen anyone really try to explain or explore the connection between these two strands of Chomsky's work.

@MoveOnUpMusicEvan 3 жыл бұрын

Why am I getting major deja vu from this comment lol

@user-tp7wi4lt2b 2 жыл бұрын

@@JohnMoseley I'm sure there's plenty of work on this subject already, you just have to research a bit

@JohnMoseley 2 жыл бұрын

@@user-tp7wi4lt2b Maybe, yeah.

@SquareyCircley 2 жыл бұрын

@@JohnMoseley don't agree with all of it but Chris Knight's "Decoding Chomsky" is interesting

@laurenbutler3317 3 жыл бұрын

I'm doing my MA in Sociology right now and my lecturer isn't the best at explaining theories so these are VERY helpful. Thank you so much for this!

@TheOaktownBlogger 2 жыл бұрын

Hope your lecturer doesnt see this...

@cheikhhamel3782 2 жыл бұрын

بالتوفيق لك

@jamesferry1523 3 жыл бұрын

Hi Tom, I feel the need to point out, whenever you use the word "infer," it seems that you mean "imply." Simply put, the text doesn't "infer" anything--we do that. The text only "implies." Same with people. The speaker, producer (or writer of the text) implies, while the listener, recipient, etc., infers. It's a very common error, but fyi.

@sirlordhenrymortimer6620 4 жыл бұрын

Will be eagerly waiting for you're video on post structuralism

@Tom_Nicholas 4 жыл бұрын

It’s in the works, don’t worry! Likely to add a third code to my Society of the Spectacle mini-series first but poststructuralism will be up next!

@jacksonkerbs3426 4 жыл бұрын

Hey Tom, would you ever be interested in doing an introduction to Deleuze and Guattari?

@mateaYertle8 4 жыл бұрын

Bless you for doing this. I have an exam tomorrow and I've just discovered your videos. You describe all of this better than my assigned literature in my native language. Thank you for giving me a chance to pass this class.

@Tomsdrawings 3 жыл бұрын

Did you pass buddy?

@JudymayMurphy 4 жыл бұрын

I’m thrilled to have discovered your channel, Tom. Keep up the stellar work! Jmx

@rimmstein 4 жыл бұрын

Please, continue making these videos. Not only are they extremely useful for my studies, but also you explain things very well and make the topic even more interesting!

@dapperman1402 3 жыл бұрын

Just wanted to say how useful this was - really appreciate the effort you've put in!

@hontaiwangshu1289 3 жыл бұрын

I wish we had you as our college professor. You're really good at explaining complicated concepts effectively. Thank you.

@astrumsan603 2 жыл бұрын

Hey Tom, thanks so much for this resource! Wanted to let you know that our high school literature teacher assigned this to us to watch when talking about literary theories! I was really surprised but I’m glad that your channel is reaching so many people :)

@JohannaTougu 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you! Im a semiotics and culture theory student from Estonia and this helped me a lot when i started :)

@Tom_Nicholas 4 жыл бұрын

Really glad to hear it was helpful!

@rushingandhi6888 Жыл бұрын

The energy here is unmatched and my oh my! one of the best explanations out there. Students survive and thrive at times too because such amazing lectures exist.

@nazilik1786 3 жыл бұрын

This video was EXTREMELY helpful for me to understand and make a presentation about the topic. Thank you so much, I really appreciate the effort you put in.

@LeonCouch 2 жыл бұрын

Excellent summary. I learned these things prior to the internet's popularity and its numerous resources. That is, I read the original texts you cited, and it was hardgoing, because all of this was/is outside my field of study. I appreciate how you summed up everthing in an easily-understood and engaging way.

@jasonmontoyajr.9197 3 жыл бұрын

Just stumbled upon this video while working on my final. I think that this is easily one of the best informative/teaching type videos ive ever seen. Just as the top comment says, this is a great video. You make great connections which are concise and applicable and this really helped me make some big connections. :) thank you

@MRoy-lj1hh 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for your lucid and thorough presentations. They really help me in my work. Keep going!

@LaVidaDeSol 4 жыл бұрын

Your content is helping me SO INCREDIBLY MUCH in my first year of cultural studies. I really appreciate the way you present these theories, makes it quite easy to grasp :)

@breeglasbergen1982 Жыл бұрын

Tom, this is so easy to digest. Thank you. My textbook on lit theory and my lecturer went on too many tangents for me to grasp the concept well. I really appreciate this video.

@beyzagokterim8476 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for your videos, Tom. They have helped immensely for my studies of Literary Criticism.

@singingcatfishagain 2 жыл бұрын

Fascinating! These are theories I'll have to delve deeper into. Thank you for the introduction.

@idaercool Жыл бұрын

Thank you for this explanaton! I was really confused from what I read in my textbook but after watching this video, it all now makes great sense

@hendricka3029 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for that video ! That is one excellent summary of the ideas of structuralism which gives a nice overview of the subject matter and its key thinkers.

@osmankaandemirbas1109 4 жыл бұрын

This has helped me a lot.Thanks Mr.Nicholas

@yaqian7435 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing! After having lessons on Levi-Strauss and Totemism, haven't really got the idea of what structuralism means. This video helps me understand it better.

@arpanchatterjee2559 4 жыл бұрын

Read structuralism from Peter Barry, then watched this video and read Barry again. Felt like an altogether different text. Thanks for these videos, Tom.

@frvn6756 4 жыл бұрын

Man. Thanks for this video, it's been super instructive. Well done

@njm2699 2 жыл бұрын

19:10 and this is a very important concept of Manufacturing Consent :)

@shashankisshere 2 жыл бұрын

totally in love with this channel!!!

@chrisgomez8811 3 жыл бұрын

now I want to research the history of Structalism in Psych it frustrates me to no end that literally none of my professors up until this point have mentioned that structalism was a literary theory because they seem to go really hand in hand Love your videos, especially this one! Combing through your catalog (since I've only recently found your channel) has been a blast

@Litagora 4 жыл бұрын

Discovered this channel recently, find your explanation of complex ideas very accessible, think this [apart from other things] makes your videos distinct, please, keep up the good work and videos coming.

@Tom_Nicholas 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you, really appreciate you saying so!

@Jacob-hk6to 4 жыл бұрын

amazingly thorough, thank you!

@samiraaboutaleb7662 4 жыл бұрын

THANK YOU !!!! I have been struggeling with this for so long !!

@Tom_Nicholas 4 жыл бұрын

No worries, glad I was able to help in some way!

@stephanielmt 4 жыл бұрын

Tom, I love your channel. Thank you for it. I would love it if you did a video on dyadic pairs within structuralism.

@antkcuck 3 жыл бұрын

Fantastic this was the clearest resource on the matter I could find

@albafajula 4 жыл бұрын

I loved this one, it's been fascinating

@Tom_Nicholas 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks! So glad to hear that. Was slightly worried that I’d returned to the linguistics stuff a bit too often!

@Maria-ieiri-sho 4 жыл бұрын

Very, very useful!! 👏 Waiting for the next one.

@Tom_Nicholas 4 жыл бұрын

Really glad to hear it!

@aditipatil1447 3 жыл бұрын

Very well explained! Keep up the good work :)

@sourourbenticha8493 3 жыл бұрын

I'm seeing this for my Critical Theories exam tomorrow.. You're a life savior, thank you! 😄

@Mjolkmaestro 3 жыл бұрын

Damn, I appreciate your channel so much!

@udbhavseth799 3 жыл бұрын

gosh, the animal/mineral/vegetable example was fantastic. so intuitive

@lastgodlover Жыл бұрын

Awesome presenting of the idea🙏

@nonsinesole 4 жыл бұрын

I love your videos, super accessible I started watching them under a year ago and go back and forth in the books and the authors you mention You are definately one of my top references/resources on the net Thanks and peace from Montréal

@Tom_Nicholas 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you, I'm so glad you've found some of what I make useful!

@BizRasam 4 жыл бұрын

Yo Tom, much appreciated. Cheers.

@ivyghosh6779 2 жыл бұрын

Hey Tom, thank you so much for this video. This is really very helpful for a student like me we have developed love in semiotics just a few days back and want to explore more and more in this field. Thank you ❤️

@cheikhhamel3782 2 жыл бұрын

بالتوفيق لك

@zizismiles7973 4 жыл бұрын

Your intro style reminds me of CBBC and I'm very much here for it P.s. appreciate what you do. Thank you!

@kseniatuominen7825 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you! It is so well explained!

@mariyumabid7330 3 жыл бұрын

I have a midterm tomorrow and this really helped me. thanks man

@sabgerland5298 3 жыл бұрын

Very nice explanation!

@ahmedelakrab 4 жыл бұрын

Really great content. I wish you all the best :)

@inesslt367 2 жыл бұрын

thank you so much, this video was so helpful and it can allow to deepen my study on structuralism.

@annecasis1185 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you sir for a comprehensive explanation of Structuralism.

@domsusefulstuff 3 жыл бұрын

Love your videos so much! You’re switching infer and imply, wanted to let you know.

@useralina 4 жыл бұрын

I'm studying linguistics at the university and we've been talking about Saussure for a month at every single class, starting with our professor saying that He's now our father, mother and lover at the same time. randomly seeing his name again on a youtube video was so weird anyway, great vid! I deeply enjoy your work

@louploup 4 жыл бұрын

I've studied cultural studies for both my BA and MA and now started a phd in STS/history of science. It's shocking how much you forget if you're not actively using these things regularly. Really great videos! They help me refreshing my knowledge on key concepts in an accessible way when I can't bare reading another text. But one thing....why on earth would a cat hiss at a mouse?? ;)

@michaelmcilrath9466 Жыл бұрын

Mmmm bare…. bear…

@b1g_m00n 3 жыл бұрын

I really like your work!!

@aurelia160 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the clear explanation! It was very helpful!

@francisconolasco8386 4 жыл бұрын

Brilliant Job. When you speak about myths it would be really interesting to mention René Girard, even though he's on a category of its own.

@crisellysdelacruz1482 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for this! Extremely helpful

@saras.9698 2 жыл бұрын

My history professor has been discussing Saussure in class but it was mostly incoherent to me. You are much better at explaining stuff. Thank you!

@Mlk-Al-Halabi 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks man ! Great video

@AhsanKhan-rb6mh 3 жыл бұрын

well done. Really a great help

@TheVip113 4 жыл бұрын

I subscribed. Thank you so much! You saved my life!!!

@I-mw7fs 11 күн бұрын

I love your videos! thank you!

@flashkraft 4 жыл бұрын

I learned a bunch of this at design college. I have never used it much as a web developer but it was kinda interesting from what I remember of it.

@MarkbyMarkAFosterPhD 2 жыл бұрын

Very well done. If you are not a professor, I humbly suggest you consider that field.

@LukePalmer 3 жыл бұрын

I appreciate that when you depicted Perseus at 8:43 you included the wang

@rashijain6319 Жыл бұрын

I finally made it through this video😭. It took me a long time to fully absorb this but thank u so much for making this.

@felipe2712 Жыл бұрын

Excellent video. You could have as well added a mention to the works of Greimas and the discoursive (or french) semiotics. Accordinng to François Dosse "semiotics is to linguistics as algebra is to mathematics". Greimas' main work Structural Semantics is focused on how beyond the threshold of the phrase (considered the linguistic unit by Saussure), the text, or discourse also has an underlying structure. His concept of generative course of meaning is central to many works in literary and visual arts analysis. I myself wrote a paper analyzing a computer game, just as might a poem, a tale or a ballet.

@rafacrisil 3 жыл бұрын

Fascinating, thank you!

@matt_cummins28 4 жыл бұрын

More video excellent-ness. Cheers. Keep it up. Love your enthusiasm.

@Tom_Nicholas 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks, glad you liked!

@austincolucci8303 2 жыл бұрын

amazing content. Thank u so much

@jasonstevens3892 2 жыл бұрын

Very digestible, thank you

@jamesroberts2282 4 жыл бұрын

Joseph Campbell’s, The Hero’s Journey, is a fascinating piece of work looking at the archetypes consistent throughout cultures found in literature.

@Tom_Nicholas 4 жыл бұрын

Yes, The Hero With a Thousand Faces is an interesting piece of work and has had a massive impact particularly on film writing. I did have a whole bit about it in this video but I cut it for time in the end and because it’s more Jungian than Structuralist in its approach even if the results are similar. I don’t know in what esteem it’s viewed by anthropologists though.

@jamesroberts2282 4 жыл бұрын

Tom Nicholas your channel is still rocking it when it comes to the quality of its content. Keep up the good work.

@Tom_Nicholas 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks, really appreciate you saying so! I'll do my best!!

@Naralux 4 жыл бұрын

Wonderful video, thanks!

@Tom_Nicholas 4 жыл бұрын

Cheers Ash, hope you enjoyed!

@emis7272 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you! Most helpful❤️

@AlejandroMadrid-tn1gp 7 ай бұрын

Good job!

@aleksandrahigson8631 4 жыл бұрын

Movie mistake: the cat purred at the mouse. A great addition to my anthropology notes :)

@elleiazzam9665 3 жыл бұрын

love your videos and your infos, thank you for that. I must ask what did you study in uni ?

@TeacherAizDumuk 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for this informative vid.

@horrorhabit8421 2 жыл бұрын

I've been a student of Sanskrit and Sanskrit-based languages for some time now. There is a perception among Sanskrit students that the meaning of many Sanskrit words is somehow encoded into their sound, the effects they have on human physiology, their length, and their etymologies. How valid is the belief? I don't know, I'm just throwing the idea out there.

@neilcreamer8207 4 жыл бұрын

@Tom Nicholas Thank you for this excellent taster on Structuralism. I am looking into the idea of meaning and this subject is a great area for studying that. It was great to see Propp's name come up only a day after I'd first heard him mentioned in a talk on Old Testament criticism. Regarding meaning, a few times you said that a sentence or text 'infers' something. I wonder whether you meant to say 'implies'. A writer may imply something by their words, i.e. point to something without saying it directly (implicit versus explicit) whereas it is the reader who infers something from the words by 'reading in' a meaning which they have imagined. For example, you might say, "Mary was not a cook" and you might mean to imply that she was an awful cook whereas I, the reader, could infer that she considered cooking to be a bad use of her time, or any other plausible idea. Usually, inference is the domain of the listener or reader rather than the speaker or writer.

@RamsesThePigeon 4 ай бұрын

I'm very pleased to have seen this comment, and I appreciate you offering friendly corrections where they're necessary.

@franciscojeronimo5881 3 жыл бұрын

Once again your approach to something helped understand something else... Please, consider commenting Chomsky's "Manufacturing consent" with this stream ideas about structuralism in mind.

@kituyipeninahloyce841 Жыл бұрын

you are a very intelligent scholar. thanks for the explanation

@prof.joanaalmeida2074 3 жыл бұрын

You are the best university in the world. Thank you so much !

@JE-ee7cd 4 жыл бұрын

Awesome video BTW. 😃

@HWalla23 4 жыл бұрын

yAaaaaasss, one of these days I'll feel prepared enough to approach Course In General Linguistics

@Tom_Nicholas 4 жыл бұрын

Haha, I’ve thought about reading it in full occasionally but never have. From the sections I’ve delved into, it’s not that it’s particularly obtusely-written, just that it goes into so much detail that, if you’re not a linguist with a specific interest in the things Saussure talks about, it’s possibly not worth the time.

@HWalla23 4 жыл бұрын

@@Tom_Nicholas I don't know, my time is basically worthless -- I've just spent the summer plowing through the Standard Edition for no reason.

@farisyusronmardiansyah6725 4 жыл бұрын

your videos help me a lot. I would do anything to get to know your channel earlier.

@theechooflove7955 Жыл бұрын

I absolutely love your amazing channel!!!!! This is so amazing to even speak of all I want to say is your lovely! And please keep sharing its food I need! 🤪😉

@SK-le1gm 3 жыл бұрын

I’m after a TELEOLOGICAL analysis of a text. Why was it written? What does it do to the reader? What are the real world downstream impacts of the text? How aware is the writer or speaker of these impacts, and can different texts be created to mitigate or assist these impacts? Take the text “Common Sense” by Thomas Paine; a teleological analysis could drill down to the tone he uses, the pamphlet as a medium, the cultural context and how he represents a group of people who sought change, his desire to shock or inspire his reader, what might have happened if he had never written it etc. Anyone known for this? Thanks for a superb video!!!

@DanikaOliver 2 жыл бұрын

Whoa, that's fancy, I'm subscribing.

@alisonarmstrong8421 5 ай бұрын

I am a great fan of Propp (and Schlovsky). I used Barthes' S/Z writerly reading technnique for my Ph.D. dissertation, applyig it to Joyce's short story, "Clay" in Dubliners.

@Yoda.. 4 жыл бұрын

Can you please record a vid on the meaning of the term historicism. It appears to be used in different way by different scholars. Does it refer to a preoccupation with historical questions when considering texts or is it a reference to a particular way of thinking and of approaching texts by 19th century historians? Some clarification on this will be helpful. Thanks

@justinvillar7008 3 жыл бұрын

Hello, I'm new to your channel and it helps me in my major as A.B. literature. I'm just curious and want to ask. Are you a professor?

@LogicGated 2 жыл бұрын

Pretty thorough for a 20 min vid!

@mansouralmaswari5981 2 жыл бұрын

It s so fruitful academic feast. Thanx indeed

@sirlordhenrymortimer6620 4 жыл бұрын

Great job. Very useful video and you gave overview of a vastly complex topic . Now, I will use whatever I have learnt from your video in analysing films . Could you please suggest any books especially on structuralism and a book that gives in depth idea of post structuralism

@Tom_Nicholas 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Propp's methodology is a good one to think about in terms of film. In a similar vein, you might like Joseph Campbell's The Hero With a Thousand Faces or The Writers Journey by Christopher Vogel which is a slightly more reader-friendly version of the same ideas.

@Tom_Nicholas 4 жыл бұрын

On the issue of poststructuralism, I'd suggest taking a look at Oxford University Press's A Very Short Introduction to Poststructuralism and the book Understanding Poststructuralism which I haven't read but which looks to be really good!