1. Words (or signifiers) do not point to things, but they point to concepts (signifieds). The sign signifies a concept, not an external reality. "Table" does not refer to a non-linguistic thing in the world, but rather has meaning because of where it appears in relation to other words. It makes sense to use it in certain places, and not others.
2. All meaning depends on a structure which lies behind every sign. Langue vs. parole. Example: English is a language, but we never encounter "English" apart from specific utterances. There is grammar, and we know when it has been violated, but we never have direct access to the structure itself.
3. We are not concerned about the historical development of something (the "diachronic"), but rather with the set of references at any specific time (the "synchronic"). Example: the fashion system.
4. Signs are arbitrary. There is nothing inherent in the word "table" that necessitates that the word we use must be used.
5. Signs are not infinitely arbitrary. There are limits to the places we can use the word "table."
6. Signs work by signifying a difference from other signs. Example: the first taste of coffee.
So, how does a structuralist analysis work? First thing to understand: we use both order and substitutability in expressing an underlying structure.
Order: In stories, there are narratives. There are binary relationships in all sorts of things, dominant and secondary, which tell us how the world is put together.
Substitutability: This refers to the fact that certain aspects of our understanding are latent, or invisible, until we show them for what they are by substituting something else in their place. What happens if we used a different camera angle for a photograph? What happens if we try to express the "same" thing in a different genre? What happens if we substitute a woman for a man in a particular ad? leapt behind door feline lay under carpet The cat sat on the mat Paradigmatic Axis: Substitution Syntagmatic Axis: Order
Syntagmatic Analysis: Umberto Eco's account of James Bond novels.
Can you give a similar account of (one or more of) the following:
Paradigmatic Analysis: Try substituting different elements in the following examples: