ENG 455SEM—Cultural Theory

The content of this course may vary, though the aim is to examine some of the key texts, approaches, and ideas that are used to theorize culture. Students will discuss some familiar lenses for interpreting culture (e.g., Marxism, feminism, postmodernism, and postcolonialism) as well as the key concepts that are central to cultural analysis (e.g., ideology, history, race, nature, and agency). Students in the class should develop a familiarity with the tools of cultural analysis, and also to use those tools to better understand what is at stake in the production, distribution, and consumption of culture.