1. Linguistics defined as the analysis of formal structures in a text or discourse
   "structuralism focuses on how language elements relate to each other";
   - structural linguistics
    
2. An anthropological theory that there are unobservable social structures that generate observable social phenomena
   "Lévi-Strauss developed structuralism to analyse kinship systems";
   - structural anthropology
    
3. A sociological theory based on the premise that society comes before individuals
   "structuralism argues that social institutions shape individual behaviour";
   - structural sociology

Derived forms: structuralisms

Type of: linguistics, theory

Part of: anthropology, sociology

Encyclopedia: Structuralism