Poststructuralism changes the way we understand the relations between human beings, their culture, and the world. Following a brief account of the historical relationship between structuralism and poststructuralism, this Very Short Introduction traces the key arguments that have led poststructuralists to challenge traditional theories of language and culture. Whilst the author discusses such well-known figures as Barthes, Foucault, Derrida, and Lacan, she also draws pertinent examples from literature, art, film, and popular culture, unfolding the postructuralist account of what it means to be a human being.

Table of Contents:
1: Creatures of Difference
2: Difference and culture
3: Difference and desire
4: Difference or truth?
5: Dissent

Author Information:
Catherine Belsey, Chair of the Centre for Critical and Cultural Theory at Cardiff University