Light scattering spectroscopy has played a crucial role in the study of numerous phase transitions and critical phenomena. In the case of structural phase transitions in crystalline solids, high resolution Raman and Brillouin scattering experiments have provided detailed information on the ‘soft modes’, the highly temperature-dependent lattice vibrations whose frequencies fall towards zero at the transition temperature. The condensation of the soft modes precipitates the spontaneous symmetry breaking which inevitably accompanies these transitions. Ferroelectrics comprise a particular class of crystals exhibiting structural phase transitions which have been investigated extensively by light scattering techniques. In addition to numerous soft mode studies, other subtle aspects of these transitions have been investigated by light scattering, including mode interactions and central peaks. In this presentation, the fundamental aspects of structural phase transitions and their relation to light scattering will be reviewed. A number of light scattering studies of ferroelectric crystals spanning the past decade will be summarized and used to illustrate the current level of understanding of these phenomena.