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

The video explores structuralism, a theory that views culture as a language-like system. It discusses Saussure's influence on structuralism, highlighting his ideas on language as a self-contained system. The video differentiates between low and high structuralism, with Propp's analysis of folktales representing the former and Barthes' semantic analysis representing the latter. It concludes by addressing the political implications of structuralism and its transition to post-structuralism.

What does Saussure mean by the terms 'parole' and 'langue'?

How does the concept of semantic relationships apply to cultural texts?

In what ways does high structuralism differ from traditional literary criticism?

Discuss the implications of structuralism on understanding cultural texts.