Final answer:
Anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss provided anthropology with the structuralist approach to analyzing myths, highlighting universal structures in myths that reflect shared human concerns and the symbolic significance of animals and nature in human cultures.
Step-by-step explanation:
French anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss made significant contributions to the field of anthropology by developing the approach of structuralism. He analyzed myths as a means to understand cultural concepts, emphasizing that myths across different societies have similar underlying structures which reflect universal human concerns. Through his work, he demonstrated that animals and nature are crucial to understanding human self-perception, as they often serve as symbols in various cultures. Levi-Strauss's insights helped to illuminate the complex relationship between culture and nature, positioning culture as defined in opposition to what is considered natural or animalistic.
Levi-Strauss's structuralist approach involves breaking down myths into their component parts to grasp the inherent structure and shared patterns across cultures. This method sheds light on the similarities in the way different cultures address fundamental human experiences. His innovative ideas have influenced numerous fields within social sciences and contributed to a deeper understanding of cultural systems and human thought.