Structuralism and post-structuralism

 

Structuralism: blog tasks

Part 1: Media Factsheet reading

Use our brilliant Media Factsheet archive to find Factsheet #90 Applying Structuralism and Post-Structuralism. Read the Factsheet and answer the following questions:

1) What is the definition of structuralism provided by the Factsheet? 

Structuralism is a theoretical perspective that emphasises the existence of universal structures underlying surface differences and assumed randomness of various cultures, stories and media texts.

2) What are binary oppositions and why are they important?

Binary oppositions are words or things that oppose each other. They are important as they emphasise Levi Strauss' point that he argues about how ideas are represented in thought and language.

3) How do genre and auteur theory link to structuralism? 

Auteur theory includes looking for an author's signature something in all films they produce and this and genre link to structuralism because structuralist approaches to genre emphasise patterns that can be identified across a range of texts and usually focus on identifying key conventions within a genre.

4) Look at page 4 of the factsheet. What is post-structuralism?

Post structuralism is interested in how external factors can influence meanings- focus shifts from text to reader.

5) What is your own opinion on this theory? Do you agree that we use established structures to understand the media (such as narrative and genre) or is the power now with audiences in a digital, post-structuralist media landscape? 

I think that most traditional texts and productions are structuralised but the modern world includes post structuralised conventions because of how people start to have more and more freedom surrounding their opinions, so post structuralism is becoming more powerful even though there are still some structuralised features in today's media.

Part 2: The Mitchells vs The Machines analysis

Watch the trailer for The Mitchells vs The Machines: 




Write an analysis of the trailer from both a structuralist and post-structuralist perspective. 

The following may help you:

Structuralist: what established narratives, genres or conventions can be found in the trailer? 

Post-structuralist: how does the trailer reject traditional structures and instead offer something new (e.g. incorporating elements of YouTube meme culture, audiences as producers of meaning or subverting expectations of narrative or character).

The genre of the trailer is structuralised with a fixed expectation of it being science fiction because of the key conventions it includes in it like technology and a robot apocalypse. However it is also seen as post structuralised as the audience can reject the meaning that the family shown is more than weird and unusual.

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