Episode #117 - Structuralism and Mythology Pt. 2
Episode #117 - Structuralism and Mythology Pt. 2
This episode expands on structuralist thought by showing how culture, like language, is built on deep structures that shape how we understand the world. Drawing from Barthes and Saussure, it explains how media and myth present cultural values as natural truths. Whether through curated social media posts, celebrity news, or political messaging, we absorb narrow worldviews without realizing it. These myths don't just tell stories—they smuggle in entire systems of values that feel like facts. Claude Lévi-Strauss adds that all cultures, even those labeled “primitive,” rely on binary oppositions—like clean/dirty or sane/insane—to make sense of reality. These oppositions help society function but often oversimplify complex truths. By recognizing these patterns, we begin to see that our sense of what’s normal or true isn’t universal—it’s shaped by hidden structures built into the culture we live in.
Further Reading:
Structuralism and Semiotics by Terence Hawkes (2003)
Structuralist Poetics: Structuralism, Linguistics and the Study of Literature by Jonathan Culler (2002)
The Pursuit of Signs: Semiotics, Literature, Deconstruction by Jonathan Culler (2002)
See the full transcript here.
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