MIGRAIN: Structuralism

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

Structuralism was once a really popular way of analysing media texts. But by the 1970s, it started to break down because there were so many different approaches that it was hard to pin down one clear, coherent theory.

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

Binary oppositions are pairs of opposites (like good vs. evil, male vs. female, rich vs. poor) that help create meaning in stories. They’re important because they show how texts rely on contrasts to build narratives and shape how audiences understand them.

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

Genre theory shows how texts share common structures and codes that make them recognizable as part of a category (like horror, comedy, romance).

Auteur theory argues that individual creators (like directors) put their own recurring themes and stylistic “structures” into their work, making them identifiable across different films or texts.

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

Post-structuralism is the idea that media texts don’t have one fixed meaning. Instead, different audiences can interpret them in different ways. It focuses more on how people read a text rather than what the author meant. Meanings are not stable but change depending on things like gender, class, or culture.