Introductory description

Critical and Cultural Theory has never been more vibrant, nor more urgently needed, than today. Work in all areas of the Humanities has long been inextricably intertwined with critical reflection, often drawing from a multiplicity of disciplines, from philosophy and sociology, to literary and visual studies. This module charts key developments in the development of critical and cultural theories, focusing on specific movements or schools, and methodologies, as well as on important figures such as Adorno, Arendt, Brown, Buell, Butler, Derrida, Gramsci, Hall, Lacan, Latour, Mulvey, and Williams. We explore different, often clashing, critical perspectives on culture, from textual, material, philosophical, and other perspectives. These situated, and often transnational, critical platforms, allow us to both map historical developments in the study of the Humanities and focus on specific, particular elements. The interaction between aesthetics, culture, and societal issues remains a permanent concern throughout the module.

Module web page

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

Week 1: General Debates on Critical and Cultural Theory and the Humanities.
Readings from: Rosi Braitotti and Paul Gilroy, Eds. Conflicting Humanities, 2016

Week 2: The Emergence of Critical Theory and Cultural Materialism.
Readings from: Theodor Adorno, The Cultural Industry, 1991; and Raymond Williams, The Country and the City, 1975.

Week 3: The Birmingham School and the emergence of Cultural Studies.
Readings from: Stuart Hall, Foundations of Cultural Studies, 2018

Week 4: Deconstruction, Politics, and Intellectual Legacies.
Readings from: Jacques Derrida. Spectres of Marx, 2006.

Week 5: The Psychoanalytical Turn.
Readings from: Jacques Lacan, Écrits: The First Complete Edition, 2017.

Week 6: Gender and Queer Theory.
Readings from: Judith Butler, Gender Trouble, 1990, and Donald E. Hall et al, Eds. The Routledge Queer Studies Reader, 2013.

Week 7: Visual Cultures: Aesthetics and Politics.
Readings from: Nicholas Mirzoeff, Ed. Visual Culture Reader, 2002.

Week 8: Ecocritical Perspectives in the Humanities.
Readings from: Ken Hiltner, Ed. Ecocriticism: The Essential Reader, 2015.

Week 9: The Cultural Politics of Affect Theory.
Readings from: Sarah Ahmed, The Cultural Politics of Emotion, 2014 and Melissa Gregg and Gregory J. Seigworth, Eds. The Affect Theory Reader, 2010.

Week 10: Critical Race Theory.
Readings from: Richard Delgado, Jean Stefacic, and Angela Harris, Eds. Critical Race Theory: An Introduction, 3rd Edition, 2017.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• To provide an advanced-level overview of Critical and Cultural Theory and enable students to interpret, evaluate and critique the key debates and major concepts in the field, both in its historical development and at the forefront of current work.
• To develop a comprehensive and advanced understanding of a variety of interpretative strategies and methodologies s
• To confidently and autonomously apply advanced conceptual ideas to the interpretation of literature and other cultural forms
• Demonstrate an ability to understand the complex contextual frames (historical, social, cultural) within which Critical Theory and Cultural Studies has been and continues to be developed.

Indicative reading list

Representative only: assigned readings subject to change

Rosi Braitotti and Paul Gilroy, Eds. Conflicting Humanities, 2016
Theodor Adorno, The Cultural Industry, 1991
Raymond Williams, The Country and the City, 1975
Stuart Hall, Foundations of Cultural Studies, 2018
Jacques Derrida. Spectres of Marx, 2006
Jacques Lacan, Écrits: The First Complete Edition, 2017
Judith Butler, Gender Trouble, 1990
Donald E. Hall et al, Eds. The Routledge Queer Studies Reader, 2013
Nicholas Mirzoeff, Ed. Visual Culture Reader, 2002
Ken Hiltner, Ed. Ecocriticism: The Essential Reader, 2015
Sarah Ahmed, The Cultural Politics of Emotion, 2014
Melissa Gregg and Gregory J. Seigworth, Eds. The Affect Theory Reader, 2010
Richard Delgado, Jean Stefacic, and Angela Harris, Eds. Critical Race Theory: An Introduction, 3rd Edition, 2017

Research element

All students are required to propose a research question and discuss it with module convenor. Essays must reflect some independent research.

Interdisciplinary

The module surveys theoretical positions and debates that pertain to many fields of inquiry, from the Social Sciences and Law to Global Sustainability and Literary and Cultural Studies.

International

Authors of texts read in the module are from diverse areas and engage with a variety of national and transnational perspectives including Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas.

Subject specific skills

• To interpret, evaluate and critique the key debates and major theoretical concepts in critical and cultural theory, both in its historical development and at the forefront of current work in the field.
• Demonstrate an ability to understand the complex contextual frames (historical, social, cultural) within which critical and cultural theory has been and continues to be read, interpreted, received, and applied.
• To confidently and autonomously apply theoretical ideas to the study of literary and cultural texts
• To develop independent research skills that enable a self-directed research project in the field
• To develop a comprehensive and specialized insight into a particular topic relating to the field of critical and cultural theory
• To work independently to devise advanced hypotheses regarding the current state of critical and cultural theory
• Advanced understanding of the social, political, and historical contexts in which particular theoretical ideas have emerged
• Targeted intervention, through cultural commentary or writing for diverse audiences, on topics related to the study of critical and cultural theory (could include debates around sex, gender and contemporary society; the role of the university in the public sphere; race and representation; nationalism, populism, and political language; environmentalism, energy, and ecology).

Transferable skills

• To develop a comprehensive and advanced understanding of critical and cultural theory's major strands and debates
• To develop independent research skills that enable a self-directed research project in the field
• Demonstrate an ability to prepare and execute an extended research project that evaluates, critiques and advances the field of literary studies.
• An ability to apply abstract and theoretical ideas to cultural texts
• Critical reflection and informed opinion on the formations of power, identity, and contemporary society
• Evidence of being able to conduct advanced-level and extended independent research projects in culturally complex topics