Claude Lévi-Strauss was a French anthropologist and ethnologist, widely regarded as the father of structuralism. He focused on understanding the underlying structures of human thought and culture, emphasizing the importance of myths, kinship, and social organization in shaping societies. His work laid the foundation for modern anthropology and influenced various fields, including literature, philosophy, and sociology. Lévi-Strauss is best known for his books, such as Tristes Tropiques and The Savage Mind, where he explored the relationships between different cultures and the universal patterns in human behavior. His ideas challenged traditional views of culture, promoting the notion that all societies share common structures despite their apparent differences.