Scouting the limits of structuralism

Abstract What is structuralism? In this introductory chapter, we explore the contours of this question that animates the present volume and offer an answer in sociological terms. We begin by examining the emergence of linguistic structuralism between the two World Wars in the work of the Prague Linguistic Circle. We then trace the spread of structuralism throughout Europe and America, and across such disciplines as linguistics, anthropology, and literary studies. Here we highlight the role of the Prague Circle member Roman Jakobson as a primary vector through which structuralism was transmitted to new audiences. In the final section, we outline the content of following chapters in this volume, pointing out how each probes the limits of structuralism.