Binary Oppositions

·       A binary opposition was not simply a fact of how humans think, but it was always already an effect o power: binarism

·       Focus on binary oppositions: not looking at culture as a collection but as a series of oppositions

·       Culture: A/A-, B/B- (oppositions) as opposed to A,B,C

·       how we make sense of the world through a series of opposed pairs of terms: “binary oppositions”

·       Not what is assigned to nature and what is assigned to culture – instead wants to think of nature and culture as a binary opposition

Signifier, Signified, Referent

·       languages are composed of SIGNS: each sign is a relation between an idea (signified) and a vocal or written mark (signifier)

·       signifier: often a sound or written mark

·       referent versus signified: the actual thing in the world, as opposed to the idea

o   1. referent: table, actual table

o   2. signified: idea of the table

3. signifier: sound (word) heard and used for table