Final answer:
Claude Lévi-Strauss saw structures as patterns of thought inherent in cultural systems, analyzed through French structuralism, particularly in mythic structures revealing universal human concerns.
Step-by-step explanation:
French anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss considered culture to be a system of symbols that could be analyzed through various realms, such as myths, religion, and other aspects of social practice. In his perspective, cultural structures are patterns of thought embedded within a culture, and this approach, often referred to as French structuralism, posits that underlying conceptual structures can be found across all cultures. Strauss's approach to mythic structure, for example, was to dissect myths into parts to understand the shared universal messages and concerns that are reflected across different cultures. He believed that the analysis of myths could reveal deeper insights into human culture as it defines itself in opposition to nature, using animals and natural elements as symbols to aid in understanding human identity.