Key Concepts in Cultural Theory

Key information

Start date
End date
Year of study
Year 2
Duration
Term 1
Module code
158100002
FHEQ Level
5
Credits
15
Department
School of Arts, Centre for Creative Industries, Media and Screen Studies, Department of History of Art and Archaeology & Department of Music

Module overview

This half-unit introduces students from across the School of Arts to key texts of post-colonial theory that deal with aesthetics and the senses.

The team-taught module mixes different disciplinary approaches from Music, History of Art and Archaeology, and Media to engage key concepts in post-colonial studies. With a focus on close reading, the module guides students through advanced texts that they will encounter across disciplines in their later years of study, equipping them with the analytical tools to apply key ideas to regional case studies. Drawing from faculty expertise, the module will emphasize reading the texts from the perspective of the traditions covered in regional modules.

Objectives and learning outcomes of the module

On successful completion of this module students will be able to

  • Demonstrate a broad awareness of major paradigms in cultural theory.
  • Approach key theoretical texts with confidence.
  • Engage in close critical reading.
  • Apply the terminology and methods of cultural theory to specific case studies from Asia and Africa.
  • Assess critically the existing literature and approaches to music and art in Asia and Africa

Workload

  • Lectures: 2 hours per week  

Method of assessment

  • 2,000-word essay on a selected topic (worth 70% of marks)
  • 20-minute group radio programme (worth 30%)

Suggested reading

  • Anderson, Benedict (1983) Imagine Communities: Reflections on the Origins and Spread of Nationalism. New York: Verso.
  • Appadurai, Arjun (1990) "Disjuncture and Difference in the Global Cultural Economy." Theory, Culture and Society 7: 295-310.
  • McLuhan (1964) "The Medium is the Message," Understanding Media: the Extension of Man. New York: Signet pp. 23-35.
  • Mohanty, Chandra (1984) "Under Western Eyes: Feminist Scholarship and Colonial Discourses." oundary 2. 12-3-13.1: 333-358.
  • Spivak, Gayatri Chakravorty (1983) "Can the Subaltern Speak?" In Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism.

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