What are the principal tenets of Structuralism (Anthropology)?

Question

What distinguishes Structuralism from other schools of anthropological thought?

Answer 1

Structuralism was primarily founded by Levi-Strauss.  He believed anthropology should not focus on how we categorize the world but the underlying patterns of human thought that produce the categories.  He focuses on "binary contrasts" or opposite categories, light or dark, night or day, male or female, kin or non-kin.