All of American Structuralism in this video

structuralism and its recent American development, either as a stand alone prompt for a sort of historic/cultural essay or as part of a larger paper. Structuralism, in its simplest form, is the examination of complex systems through their structures. It was originally developed in Europe as a way to understand language and communication, but has since been applied to other areas such as literature, psychoanalysis, anthropology, and sociology. In America, structuralism has taken on a unique form, in that many of the traditional methods of structuralism have been combined with other areas in order to analyze culture and language from a more political or social lens. This is most evident when considering the numerous schools of thought within Cultural Studies, which rely on structuralist techniques in order to acquire their data. In this sense, one could consider American structuralism to be an application of structuralism to American culture and society, rather than a separate school on its own.



As with the "Controversy over European Methodology" prompt, this is actually one idea I had for my senior thesis (but isn't currently feasible) because of the numerous schools of thought within Cultural Studies. However, I think it could be a strong essay topic for someone who wants to explore the differences between American and European structuralism, or for someone who wants to explore how structuralism has been adapted in America. Additionally, this prompt could also be framed as a historical/cultural essay in which you discuss the development of structuralism in both Europe and America.



structuralism in America has developed in a way that still remains true to the original ideas of European structuralism. Although there are some ways in which it differs, American structuralism is largely similar to its European counterpart - for instance, both schools utilize Saussure's division between language and speech. However, what makes American structuralism distinct is its application to sociology, politics, and other social sciences in order to understand how language is used in society. For example, the understanding of the Relationship between language and power/knowledge has been integrated into American structuralism in order to explore how language influences our perception of the world.

-The idea that "the personal is political" has roots in linguistic structuralism. French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan's definition of "mirror stage" is described as an infant being "polarized by his image", resulting with a loss of what postmodernist Jean Baudrillard refers to as "the simulacrum". This produces alienation which "gives rise to the entire field of the Other, and, in the end, to language"

As structuralism began to develop in America, it was met with some criticism from traditionalists who argued that it should remain true to its European roots. However, American structuralism has continued to grow and develop, incorporating new ideas and applications in order to explore how language is used in society. In this way, American structuralism has become its own unique school of thought, while still remaining true to the original ideas of European structuralism.



Structuralism in America is important because it provides a different perspective on language and culture than what is found in Europe. By integrating traditional methods with new applications, American structuralism has been able to explore how language influences our individual lives as well as our perceptions of the world. Additionally, Jacques Lacan's "mirror stage" and Jean Baudrillard's "simulacrum" are two concepts that have been integrated into American structuralism in order to explain the use of language in society. However, while this genre of research has allowed for new possibilities in understanding how language works, it also continues to be met with some opposition from traditionalists who argue that language should remain true to its European roots.

While there are many different strands of thought within cultural studies, one strand that has been particularly notable is structuralism. Beginning with the work of Ferdinand de Saussure over a century ago and continuing through today, structuralist researchers have sought out ways to study culture scientifically by taking apart whole units of meaning and gradually reassembling them. This pursuit has led to some notable discoveries on the nature of cultural units, both on an individual level (words, sentences) as well as on a more general cultural level (cultures, norms).