Binary Opposition

Binary opposition is a theoretical idea round the facts related to terms or concepts that are opposite in meaning. With the media, there are many examples of binary opposition which we as an audience can identify almost immediately.

Examples of binary opposition:

• Good/Evil
• Man/woman
• Rich/poor
• Fat/thin
• civilised/primitive

This theory was developed by two french theorists, Claude Levi-Strauss and Roland Barthes based the idea on the fact that reality can only exist in the form of ideas which binary opposition presents those notions and fixations of our reality by presenting opposing aspects of our society. 

Within media, this can act as a compelling way of engaging audiences within the piece of media due to the notion that it draws them to depict their own society and therefore making it a relatable topic for the audience to witness.