SOCIOL 3488 Lecture Notes - Lecture 36: Maurice Godelier, Roland Barthes, Logocentrism
24 Apr 2016
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Document Summary
Intellectual movement in latter half of 20th century, peaked in 1980s-1990s. Basic argument= world is in a new period following modernity. Some think new period is completely discontinuous with modernity, others se continuity. Shift from sociological theory (conversations within the discipline) to social theory (voices outside of sociology. Individuals are completely free and responsible for everything they do. This no excuses responsibility can produce both terror (or anguish) and optimism. Sartre is critical structuralists who claim objective structures are completely deterministic of behavior. Linguistic turn= intellectual movement that focuses on language. Structuralists tended to focus on the structures of language (rather than social structures. Swiss linguist distinguished between langue (formal, grammatical language) and parole (actual, everyday speech) Langue= system of signs governed by laws and therefore a structure. Meaning is derived through differences (esp. binary oppositions)= hot/cold, man/woman, sun/moon, yes/no, etc. Linguists= understand structure of language (which is separate from everyday usage.
