▁the ▁Ly c ée ▁J anson ▁de ▁S ail ly ▁and ▁the ▁Ly c ée ▁Cond or c et . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁Sor bon ne ▁in ▁Paris , ▁Lé vi - St ra uss ▁studied ▁law ▁and ▁philosophy . ▁He ▁did ▁not ▁purs ue ▁his ▁study ▁of ▁law , ▁but ▁passed ▁the ▁agr ég ation ▁in ▁philosophy ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 1 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 5 , ▁after ▁a ▁few ▁years ▁of ▁secondary - school ▁teaching , ▁he ▁took ▁up ▁a ▁last - min ute ▁offer ▁to ▁be ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁French ▁cultural ▁mission ▁to ▁Brazil ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁would ▁serve ▁as ▁a ▁visit ing ▁professor ▁of ▁soci ology ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁São ▁Paulo ▁while ▁his ▁then ▁wife , ▁D ina , ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁visit ing ▁professor ▁of ▁eth n ology . ▁ ▁The ▁couple ▁lived ▁and ▁did ▁their ▁anth rop ological ▁work ▁in ▁Brazil ▁from ▁ 1 9 3 5 ▁to ▁ 1 9 3 9 . ▁During ▁this ▁time , ▁while ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁visit ing ▁professor ▁of ▁soci ology , ▁Claude ▁under to ok ▁his ▁only ▁eth n ographic ▁field work . ▁He ▁accompanied ▁D ina , ▁a ▁trained ▁eth n ograph er ▁in ▁her ▁own ▁right , ▁who ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁visit ing ▁professor ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁São ▁Paulo , ▁where ▁they ▁conducted ▁research ▁for ays ▁into ▁the ▁M ato ▁Gros so ▁and ▁the ▁Amazon ▁Rain for est . ▁They ▁first ▁studied ▁the ▁Gu ay cur u ▁and ▁Bor or ó