Final answer:
Claude Lévi-Strauss analyzed myths using structuralism, focusing on mythemes to uncover universal human concerns and cultural similarities. His work demonstrates the importance of myths in understanding human history and shared experiences.
Step-by-step explanation:
The anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss employed structuralism to analyze myths, viewing them as systems of universal and cultural messages. He proposed that myths are made up of smaller components called mythemes, which are the fundamental structures that represent universal human concerns. According to Lévi-Strauss, by breaking down myths into mythemes and examining them, one could uncover the shared concerns of different cultures, suggesting a commonality in human experiences. He emphasized that despite the diversity of myths, their structures demonstrate remarkable consistencies, reflecting how people think about themselves and their history. This scientific approach to studying myths contrasts with the description of myths as simply stories that communities hope to be believed without necessarily being factual, such as the Santa Claus narrative.