Cultural Studies. An Introduction

Course Description

Cultural Studies foregrounds the pivotal role of culture in the modern world. But what do we mean by “culture”? Paul Willis – one of the key thinkers in the field of Cultural Studies – states that culture is “a strange and capacious category” (Barker 2012: 1). He calls it a concept that is used everywhere, but isn´t exactly defined. For the philosopher Bernhard Waldenfels culture entails “whatever humans make of themselves and of things.” (Assmann 2012: 13). This definition includes not only human artefacts, symbolic actions and collective rituals, but also social institutions, technology and of course the vastly growing media world.

Since the 1960s the new academic field of Cultural Studies has been presenting culture as a dynamic arena of social struggle and creative, even groundbreaking possibilities. This course aims to introduce to some of the key thinkers and critical frameworks in the field of Cultural Studies through classical texts by Raymond Williams, Stuart Hall, Paul Willis and the Birmingham School. Further topics will cover popular culture, subculture, identity and gender politics, postmodernism, consumerism, urban space and cyberspace, which are examined and discussed via cultural theory and concrete analyses.

Course participants will learn the terms and analytical concepts of the interdisciplinary field of Cultural Studies and the varied dimensions of culture.

Please note this course will be taught in English. However, students with a reasonable knowledge of English, who are prepared to read English texts, are very welcome to join.

Course Requirements

-      Regular attendance

-      Short oral presentation

-      Text Essays   

Course Material

A course syllabus with the reading list will be made available online at the beginning of the semester.