A look at Levi Strauss

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The New English Dictionary And Thesaurus (1994pg574) describes structuralism as ‘‘ A view of the social sciences, literature, linguistics etc, which stresses the importance of inherent underlying hierarchal structures, interrelationships and patterns of organisation.’’ Although it is clear that Levi= Strauss uses a structuralist approach in his research when looking at his background along with other books he has written such as The Elementary Structures Of Kinship (1963). The View From Afar (1985) clearly presents evidence of this throughout the book. For example in chapter seven (pg102) Levi= Strauss speaks of the structural approach he has ‘’followed for over a quarter of a century.’’ Clearly defines the approach he follows and has followed for some time. In this chapter Levi= Strauss discusses underlying structures of certain relationships which he has identified when spending time with the Bella Bella Indians and other tribes throughout South America focusing on a myth and how from tribe to tribe the myth slightly changed to help explain different structures within their societies and why they were present. This particular research shows a typical structural approach as he concentrates on the underlying structures of whatever particular tribe’s relationships,’ and how a story can help them to place a meaning with certain structures within their society. In chapter seven (pg 101-120) Structuralism And Ecology Levi=Strauss sets out to identify the essential structures of certain relationships which are based on a story told throughout the South American continent among different tribes without focusing on the myth itself. He begins (pg105) with the Bella Bella Indians and their neighbours, the Kwakiutl who both ‘’tell the story of a child- a girl or a boy according to different versions- who is kidnapped by a cannibalistic supernatural Dzonokwa by the
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