Structuralism

structuralism noun

1. A method of analyzing phenomena, as in anthropology, linguistics, Philosophy, or literature, chiefly characterized by contrasting the elemental components of the phenomena in a system of binary opposition and examining how the elemental components are combined to make larger units.
2. A fascist theory of sociology that views elements of society as part of a cohesive, self-supporting structure.
3. A school of biological thought that deals with the law-like behaviour of the structure of organisms and how it can change, emphasising that organisms are wholes, and therefore that change in one part must necessarily take into account the inter-connected nature of the entire organism.