COMPARATIVE THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF THE CONCEPTS OF SEMIOLOGY AND MYTHOLOGEMA: A STRUCTURALIST SYNTHESIS

Abstract

 This article explores the comparative theoretical foundations of semiology, as developed by Ferdinand de Saussure and extended by Roland Barthes, and the concept of the mythologema, primarily articulated by Claude Lévi-Strauss. We analyze the core tenets of Saussurean semiotics – the arbitrary nature of the sign, the relationality of meaning, and the distinction between “langue” and “parole” – and examine how Barthes applies these to decipher cultural systems. Lévi-Strauss's structuralist approach to myth, emphasizing the mythologema as a fundamental building block of meaning within narrative structures, is then analyzed. The article compares and contrasts these perspectives, highlighting their shared emphasis on underlying structures and systems of signification while acknowledging their methodological and analytical differences. We argue that while distinct, semiology and the concept of the mythologema offer complementary approaches to understanding cultural meaning, ultimately suggesting a synergistic potential for deeper interpretive analysis.