What were the positions of the structuralists?

Structuralists believed that elements of human culture, such as language, literature, and social practices, can be understood by examining the underlying structures that shape them. They emphasized the relationships and differences between components rather than the individual elements themselves. This approach often involved analyzing patterns and systems to uncover the rules that govern cultural phenomena, with a focus on the ways in which meaning is constructed. Prominent figures in structuralism include Claude Lévi-Strauss in anthropology and Ferdinand de Saussure in linguistics.