binary oppostions

Binary Oppositions is two opposite ‘things’ that are presented in such a way that you compare them with each other. An example of this is in Blinded by the Light by the representation of Pakistan versus English and a further example is in Bombshell by women versus men.

conceptstrongly agreeagreeneutraldisagreestrongly disagree opposite concept
white Xblack
positive Xnegative
poorXrich
maleXfemale
crampedXempty
supporting of governmentXcritisising of government
happyXsad
unemployedXemployed
youngXold
protesting Xaccepting
urbanXrural

levi strauss

Binary means 2 different things completely that can be used for comparison. This theory suggests that narratives (=myths) are structured around binary options eg: good v evil; human v alien; young v old, poor and rich As such, it encourages students to understand narrative as a structure of key (oppositional) themes that underpin action and dialogue to develop a set of messages that the audience are able to decode and understand. Lévi-Strauss was a French anthropologist and ethnologist whose work was key in the development of the theories of structuralism and structural anthropology .This theory suggests that NARRATIVES (=myths) are STRUCTURED around BINARY OPPOSITIONS eg: good v evil; human v alien; young v old etc etc. As such, it encourages students to understand narrative as a structure of key (oppositional) themes that underpin action and dialogue to develop a set of messages that the audience are able to decode and understand.

myths according to Levi Strauss, articulate a version of the world around us, generating culturally specific cues that define acceptable or unacceptable social norms.

conceptstrongly agreeagreeneutralagreestrongly disagreeconcept
femalex
satisfiedx
whitex
urbanx
poorx
maturex
obedient x
non-conformity x
youngx
critical of government x

Levi strous

  • examined the nature of myths and legends, suggested that myths were used to deal with the contradictions in experience, to explain the apparently inexplicable, and to justify the inevitable
  •  suggests that NARRATIVES are STRUCTURED around BINARY OPPOSITIONS eg good and evil
  • encourages students to understand narrative as a structure of key (oppositional) themes 
  •  creates a dominant message (ideology) of a film etc, audiences are encouraged to make a judgements about characters, groups, places, history, society etc
CONCEPTSTRONGLY
AGREE
AGREE NEUTRALAGREESTRONGLY AGREEOPPOSITE
CONCEPT
WHITEXBLACK
POOR xWEALTHY
ENEMPLOYEDXEMPLOYED
PROTEST XACCEPT
URBAN XREGIONAL

Internal Structural Analysis

Narratives are based on binary oppositions. A dominant ideology of the film is created, so people are able to make judgements. This can also determine weather the narrative is reactionary or radical.

ConceptStrongly
agree
AgreeNeutralAgreeStrongly
agree
Opposite
concept
GoodXBad
WhiteXBlack
MaleXFemale
UrbanXRegional
PoorXRich
EducatedXUneducated
PositiveXNegative
ProtestingXAccepting
SmartXSimple
YoungXOld
EmployedXUnemployed

Levi Strauss

Levi Strauss, a French anthropologist in the 1900s, proposed a theory of ‘binary opposites’ which entails that the majority of narratives in media forms such as books and film contain opposing main characters. These binary opposites help to thicken the plot and further the narrative; and introduce contrast.

What is Levi-Strauss structuralism theory?

Structuralism is an approach used to analyze culture. Developed by Claude Levi-Strauss, it asserts that human culture, being the set of learned behaviors and ideas that characterize a society, is just an expression of the underlying structures of the human mind.

What is structuralism vs functionalism?Structuralism suggests that the goal of psychology is to study the structure of the mind and consciousness, while functionalism puts forth that understanding the purpose of the mind and consciousness is the aim of psychology. Functionalism was developed as a response to structuralism.

Binary Oppositions – Levi Strauss – Ghost town

  • Binary Oppositions is two opposite ‘things’ that are presented in such a way that you compare them with each other. An example of this is in Blinded by the Light by the representation of Pakistan versus English and a further example is in Bombshell by women versus men.
CONCEPTStrongly
Agree
AgreeNeutralAgreeStrongly
Agree
OPPOSITE
CONCEPT
REGGAEXROCK
RADICALXREACTIONARY
FEMALEXMALE
DEPRESSEDXCHEERFUL
WHITEXBLACK
REBELLIOUSXLOYAL
POORXRICH
DIDACTICXUSELESS
INSIDEXOUTSIDE
MESSAGE BEHINDXNO MESSAGE
STRANGEXNORMAL

internal strure analyais

narratives are structured around binary oppositions. For example, good vs evil, human vs alien. It creates a dominant ideology of a film. So the audience can be encouraged to make a judgment on the binary oppositions they are given. For example, which one they prefer and which one also chose to follow more than the other.


CONCEPT
strongly
agree
agreeneutralagreestrongly
disagree
OPPOSITE
CONCEPT
SATISFIED/UNSATISFIED
MATURE/CHILDISH
FEMALE/MALE
OBEDIENT/DISOBEDIENT
WHITE/BLACK
URBAN/REGIONAL
POOR/RICH
CONFORMITY/NON-CONFORMITY
YOUNG/OLD

GHOST TOWN BINARY OPPOSITIONS – LEVI-STRAUSS

Binary oppositions means comparing and judging things off of two opposite words, for example; Good vs Evil, Young vs Old. It displays and shows the students opposite themes.

Within Blinded by the Light, its a binary opposite if English vs Pakistani, or his ideal job vs his dads ideal job.

Within Bombshell, the binary opposite would be men vs women.

CONCEPTSTRONGLY AGREEAGREENEUTRALAGREESTRONGLY AGREEOPPOSITE CONCEPT
GOODXBAD
WEAKXPOWERFUL
CALMXCHAOTIC
STRANGEXNORMAL
REBELIOUSXABIDING
FEMALEXMALE
STRAIGHTXGAY
WHITEXBLACK
REACTIONARYXRADICAL
POORXRICH
SOUTHXNORTH
ROCKXREGGAE