This episode provides a clear and conceptually grounded comparison of Structuralism and Poststructuralism, two influential theoretical movements that reshaped literary studies and the humanities in the twentieth century. Beginning with Structuralism’s search for underlying systems and universal patterns, the discussion explains how meaning was understood as stable, relational, and governed by structures such as language, binary oppositions, and cultural codes.

The episode then traces the intellectual shift toward Poststructuralism, showing how thinkers such as Michel Foucault, Jacques Derrida, and Roland Barthes questioned the assumptions of stability, objectivity, and fixed centres. Key ideas such as deconstruction, power/knowledge, and the “death of the author” are explored to demonstrate how meaning becomes fluid, historically contingent, and shaped by discourse, institutions, and readers rather than guaranteed by systems alone.

Rather than presenting the two movements as rigid opposites, the episode frames Poststructuralism as a critical response that emerges from the tensions within Structuralism itself. It also highlights the wider impact of this theoretical transition across disciplines such as anthropology, gender studies, sociology, and cultural theory.

Designed for UG and PG students, teachers, and serious readers of literary theory, this episode functions as a definitive study guide, enabling listeners to understand not only the differences between Structuralism and Poststructuralism but also why this debate marks a crucial turning point in modern critical thought.