Levi-Strauss' concept of Models

 

Concept and properties of the structural model by Levi Strauss

When we talk of social structure, we have to make distinguish between two things – Social Structure in terms empirical reality which refers to the actual existing of social relationships and social structure in terms of the formal aspects of social phenomena which are the normative aspects. When structure is used in Anthropology the references would be style or pattern, universal categories of culture and structural linguistics. Kroeber meant structure as a form, everything has a form. According to him the nature and shapes are the structure. He also emphasised upon how the individuals also content a structure within themselves. He said that the idea of structure is very amorphous in nature. Levi Strauss equated the idea of form in nature of everything but denied the empirical understanding of structure rather he talked about understanding through models which is constructed. He says when we talk of social structure, there is nothing to do with empirical reality but has to do with the constructed model, which is again build upon the idea of structure.

So here we can find two aspects –

1.      Structure in terms of empirical reality and

2.      Structure in terms of a model which is based upon or constituent of the empirical reality. 

In terms of empirical reality Levi Strauss says structure imparts or implies social structure of social relations.  Social relations are raw material out of which the model of social structure are built and which are observable structure. The idea of structure through network was proposed by A. R. Radcliffe Brown but Levi Strauss was concerned the study of structure in terms of Model. He had identified 4 different characteristics in a model. According to him if the characteristics are present in the model which is constructed of anything, we can call that the structure of that particular thing. When we talk about a model, it is the representation of what is there, it is observable but has to be constructed.

We can call the model as the structure if it has the following characteristics:

1.      Miniature Resemble of real social structure:

Structure represents or exhibits  the characteristics of a system which it is representing. It is like the synaptic meaning of representation in miniature form. By looking at the model we can describe the culture or the structure of the society. So According to Levi Strauss, model is nothing to do with empirical reality, rather it has to be constructed in a miniature form which will represent the whole culture or structure of the society.

2.      Possibility of transformation:

The model should be such that it should allow us the study of transformation, which is an analogous representation of the 1st model. We can transform one model to another one and then from that one model to another model. But something else which it become should be analogous transformation of the parental model. So Models can originate another model but all the models should have possibilities of transformation through logical relationship. 

3.      Possibility of modification:

The model should be such, if we make any change in any element of the model, rest of the elements will also undergo change in same proportion, which is close to Radcliffe Brown’s concept of structural functionalism (parts are interrelated and they have proportional dynamic relationship). None of the element can undergo change without effecting change in another elements. So it has to be observed that to give rise to another model how the previous model will react when it is exposed to modification.

4.      Flexibility to work on the model:

The model should be able to explain all the observable facts. The model should be pen to modification and transformation so that new models can be generated in order to find the deeper relationships.

So these 4 key elements are the requirement for any model to be identified or called as the structural model and these characteristics have to be constructed which will be the property of the particular model.

Now, according to Levi Strauss, there are 4 different kinds of possibilities or can be say distinctions to constitute model in social structure are –

1.      Observation and Experimentation:

The distinguish between observation and experimentation model is constituted through our observation and ongoing visit to the empirical social life. We cannot transform the empirical reality but we can do experimentation with the models like to study totemism or shamanism or myth analysis we do construct models. Levi Strauss says when we are talking about the model of any social structure, it should have characteristics of representing similar phenomena. We can only change in Model not in social life. Experimentation therefore essential because only then we will be able to modify or transform or compare a model to another model. We can also understand and generalize the social structure by experimenting with the models. When we constitute the model after observation, the possibility of transformation give rises from the event itself. So model is constructed and it tries to explain the particular phenomena, which forms an aspect of model. It should allow us to understand other similar phenomena as well. So to understand the model we have to follow 2 distinct steps- Observation (to construct the model) and Experimentation (to modify or transform  the model).

2.      Consciousness and Unconsciousness:

Boas may be credited with having introduced this distinction. He made clear that a category of facts can more easily yield to structural analysis when the social group in which it is manifested has not elaborated a conscious model to interpret or justify it. Durkheim and Maus, have always taken care to substitute, as a starting point for the survey of native categories of thought, the conscious representations prevailing among the natives themselves for those stemming from the anthropologist’s own culture.

3.     Structure and Measure:

 It is often believed that one of the main interests of the notion of structure is to permit the introduction of measurement in social anthropology. This view has been favoured by the frequent appearance of mathematical or semi mathematical aids in books or articles dealing with social structure. It is true that in some cases structural analysis has made it possible to attach numerical values to invariants. This was, for instance, the result of Kroeber’s study of women’s dress fashions, a landmark in structural research there is no necessary connection between measure and structure. Structural studies are, in the social sciences, the indirect outcome of modern developments in mathematics which have given increasing importance to the qualitative point of view in contradistinction to the quantitative point of view of traditional mathematics.

4.    Mechanical Models and Statistical Models:

This last distinction refers to the relation between the scale of the model and that of the phenomena. According to the nature of these phenomena, it becomes possible or impossible to build a model, the elements of which are on the same scale as the phenomena themselves. A model the elements of which are on the same scale as the phenomena will be called a “mechanical model” ; when the elements of the model are on a different scale, we shall be dealing with a “statistical model.” The laws of marriage provide the best illustration of this difference.

Significance of Model:

The possibility of experimentation is the most significant aspect of a model while studying social structure. Levi Strauss takes care the problem in terms of question of universality and the concept of specific. The relationship between a culture and concept of culture has seen in terms of contradiction. He says that this distinction can be resolved when we use the concept of model rather than description of empirical reality. We can come across to many models but the best model would be that, which is ‘True’. We have to find the real facts, that goes on constitute that model, which can accommodate all possible variation of those facts. Initially we have to distinguish what are the facts are and the facts will enables us to construct the true model. Franz Boas had talked about quantitative model but for Levi Strauss, it has to be understood or described not in validity or measure but with qualitative description. The model can be homemade model as well. Basically Levi Strauss said that Conscious is constituted with norms. Home made model is that structure created by the people based on their normative conscious model. So we may have two kind of models –

1.      Homemade model, which can be exact representation but it can be biased from the side of the participant. Although no problem if they are biased as those are also anthropologists’ consideration while constructing model. And

2.      Anthropological model, which can be find on the work of Durkheim (idea of collective consciousness on totemism which constitutes the idea of structural model) and writings of Marcel Maus.