Binary Opposition
Stage One
Reality as an idea
We view reality through our ideas about that reality.
Ideas are representations of reality.
Stage Two
Meaning as difference
We can interpret ideas through the interpretation of differences between opposing ideas.
We can gain meaning from something not from the direct qualities of the thing itself, but
from a difference between the thing and what is called its cultural or binary opposite.
Structuralists call words, objects or images signifiers; the meaning or idea we create is the
signified, which is a representation of reality. This leads us then to uncritically accept the
representation as the thing itself. Oops.
Our concern here is in the way that meaning is interpreted.
We tend to privilege certain ideas.
What should become clear is that within our culture, we each subconsciously apply a system
of binary opposites to shape our interpretations of many words and ideas. These
oppositions seem entirely natural and too obvious to question; but they are anything but:
such 'opposites' exist simply because our culture deems it to be so. Here are some
common 'binary pairs':
truth/lies
normal/abnormal
special/ordinary
love/hate
strong/weak
natural/artificial
health/illness
young/old
pure/impure
lo-tech/hi-tech

Can you see how our perception of one thing is deeply implicated with our sense of
its binary opposite? And how we judge one half of each binary in a more negative way?

Can you recognise the importance of this and how binary oppositions feed each other—
it’s as if meanings are bound up together. For example, can you connect the binaries
hero/coward with the binary masculinity/femininity and recognise how this
feeds stereotypes and attitudes?

If meanings are culturally constructed and exist at the level of binary opposition, then
this also suggests that such meanings are ideological; that is, they are
shared cultural ideas—which is absolutely not the same thing as reality.
So, for structuralists, meaning is created in the difference between two binary opposites and at
the level of an ideological cultural idea. These ideas are learned and absorbed as we grow up
within our particular culture. Of course, we see them not as what they are, cultural constructs,
but as 'real', 'natural' or 'obvious' –as, quite simply, too obvious to question.
Assignment
Create a visual representation for the ideas in this section.
Stage Three
Hierarchy of values
It seems it is natural (or is it cultural...?) to judge one thing's meaning against another
'connected' thing's meaning and to place the meanings within some kind of 'hierarchy of
value'.
Identify which binary is viewed most positively and explain why.
strong
weak
calm
moody
dominant
submissive
tough
gentle
active
passive
logical
emotional
mind
body
aggressive peaceful
It's very important not to see these labels as real. As with all meaning, they can exist only as
cultural ideas, i.e. as ideologies. They can certainly be said to represent reality but such labels
can never be more than a version of reality. This is why they are ideological—they act to
reinforce judgmental and hierarchical ways of thinking that might well seem entirely natural,
but which are anything but. You can perhaps now begin to see how binary pairs can be
extraordinarily powerful in reinforcing and maintaining a society's ways of thinking.

An interesting question to ask of a binary pair is who in society ultimately benefits from
people 'thinking that way'?

Another question is to ask who in society works to reinforce such binaries and why?
Create your own self narrative.
- photograph yourself every day
- leave a trace of your activities