Structuralism vs. Formalism
Structuralismnoun
A theory of sociology that views elements of society as part of a cohesive, self-supporting structure.
Structuralismnoun
(biology) 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.
Structuralismnoun
(linguistics) The theory that a human language is a self-contained structure related to other elements which make up its existence.
Structuralismnoun
(psychology) A school of thought that focuses on exploring the individual elements of consciousness, how they are organized into more complex experiences, and how these mental phenomena correlate with physical events.
Structuralismnoun
(mathematics) In the philosophy of mathematics, a theory that holds that mathematical theories describe structures, and that mathematical objects are exhaustively defined by their place in such structures.
Structuralismnoun
linguistics defined as the analysis of formal structures in a text or discourse
Structuralismnoun
an anthropological theory that there are unobservable social structures that generate observable social phenomena
Structuralismnoun
a sociological theory based on the premise that society comes before individuals
Structuralism
In sociology, anthropology, archaeology, history, philosophy and linguistics, structuralism is a general theory of culture and methodology that implies that elements of human culture must be understood by way of their relationship to a broader system. It works to uncover the structures that underlie all the things that humans do, think, perceive, and feel.
Formalismnoun
Strict adherence to a given form of conduct, practice etc.
Formalismnoun
(computing) One of several alternative computational paradigms for a given theory.
Formalismnoun
(literature) An approach to interpretation and/or evaluation focused on the (usually linguistic) structure of a literary work rather than on the contexts of its origin or reception.
Formalismnoun
(music) The tendency to elevate formal above expressive value in music, as in serialism.
Formalismnoun
A particular mathematical or scientific theory or description of a given state or effect.
Formalismnoun
A formal expression of a grammar; a formal grammar; a set of rules of syntax that, without reference to semantics, determine whether a sequence of symbols is a well-formed sentence in a given formal language.
Formalismnoun
The practice or the doctrine of strict adherence to, or dependence on, external forms, esp. in matters of religion.
Formalismnoun
the doctrine that formal structure rather than content is what should be represented
Formalismnoun
(philosophy) the philosophical theory that formal (logical or mathematical) statements have no meaning but that its symbols (regarded as physical entities) exhibit a form that has useful applications
Formalismnoun
the practice of scrupulous adherence to prescribed or external forms
