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An intellectual movement believing that phenomena of human life are not intelligible except through their interrelations. These relations constitute a structure, and behind local variations in the surface phenomena there are constant laws of abstract structure.

French philosopher best known for developing a form of semiotic analysis known as deconstruction. His work is a major transit point for post-structuralist thought, questioning the entirety of the Western philosophical tradition.

French anthropologist and ethnologist whose work was key in the development of the theory of structuralism and structural anthropology. He argued that the 'structures' of human thought are the same in all cultures and are unconscious.

An intellectual movement that emerged in France in the 1960s as a critical response to structuralism. It challenges the idea that a work has a single, unchanging meaning and emphasizes the instability of meaning and the multiplicity of interpretations.

A French philosopher and historian who was a key figure in the development of post-structuralism. His works deal with issues of power, social institutions, epistemology, and the relationship between language and meaning.

French philosopher and sociologist known for his work 'The Postmodern Condition', in which he defines postmodernism as 'incredulity toward meta-narratives'. This skepticism of grand narrative often overlaps with post-structuralist thought.

A term coined by Julia Kristeva which suggests that literary texts are a mosaic of quotations and that any text is constructed as a 'mosaic of references' to other texts. This is a common theme in post-structuralism.

Swiss linguist whose ideas laid a foundation for many developments in the study of language, culture, and society. His approach, distinguishing between 'langue' (language system) and 'parole' (speech), is central to structuralism.

French literary theorist, philosopher, critic, and semiotician. Barthes' ideas explored a diverse range of fields and he influenced the development of schools of theory including structuralism, semiotics, social theory, design theory, anthropology, and post-structuralism.

A method of critical analysis of philosophical and literary language which emphasizes the internal workings of language and conceptual systems, the relational quality of meaning, and the assumptions implicit in forms of expression.

A concept in structuralist thought where all elements of human culture can be understood in terms of opposite units. Structuralists believe that the human mind perceives differences in a binary way.

Key concepts from Saussure's semiotic model of language. The 'signifier' is the sound or written symbol, whereas the 'signified' is the concept or meaning. The relationship between the two is arbitrary and cultural.