User:Jiang jiteng/Structuralism

binary opposition

Binary opposition comes from Saussure’s theory on structuralism. According to Saussure, binary opposition is the means by which the units of language have value or meaning; each unit is defined in reciprocal determination with another term, as in binary code. It is not a contradictory relation but, a structural, complementary one (litencyc.com, 2005).

Binary opposition is a key concept within structuralism which is a part of cultural studies. when exploring the relationships between different groups of people, for instance upper-class and lower-class or disabled and able-bodied. On the surface, these seem like mere identifying labels, but what makes them binary opposites is the notion that they cannot coexist. This is still super common in modern media.