what is cultural studies? it's four goals

1. Paper No:-8Paper No:-8
Cultural studiesCultural studies
Prepared byPrepared by
Makwana MonikaMakwana Monika
Department of EnglishDepartment of English

2. • What is cultural studies? And fourWhat is cultural studies? And four
goals of cultural studiesgoals of cultural studies
 Name:- Makwana MonikaName:- Makwana Monika
 Paper No:-8 Cultural StudiesPaper No:-8 Cultural Studies
 Topic:- What is cultural studies? And it’sTopic:- What is cultural studies? And it’s
Four Goals.Four Goals.
 Roll No:- 28Roll No:- 28
 Email I’d:-Email I’d:- makwanamonika76@gmail.commakwanamonika76@gmail.com
Submitted to:- S. B. Gardi department ofSubmitted to:- S. B. Gardi department of
EnglishEnglish

3. • IntroductionIntroduction
 As far as cultural study is concerned, itAs far as cultural study is concerned, it
has border meaning because we see fromhas border meaning because we see from
various perspective then an individualvarious perspective then an individual
can know what actually it lies in thecan know what actually it lies in the
meaning.meaning.
 Generally it means way of living life orGenerally it means way of living life or
can be said that the life style of peoplecan be said that the life style of people
and Matthew Arnolds quotes that cultureand Matthew Arnolds quotes that culture
must march towards perfection.must march towards perfection.

4. • What is culture?What is culture?
 Culture is derived from LatinCulture is derived from Latin
word ‘cultura’. It also meantword ‘cultura’. It also meant
‘To honor’ and ‘project’ by‘To honor’ and ‘project’ by
the 19the 19thth
century in Europe itcentury in Europe it
tastes of the upper class.tastes of the upper class.
 It is symbolicIt is symbolic
communication.communication.
 Culture is the mode ofCulture is the mode of
producing meaning and idea.producing meaning and idea.
 Culture is the symbol ofCulture is the symbol of
knowledge shared byknowledge shared by
relatively large group ofrelatively large group of
people.people.

5. • Function:Function:
 What culture studies does is to interpret sings ofWhat culture studies does is to interpret sings of
culture such as the ones listed above as part of a powerculture such as the ones listed above as part of a power
struggle to acquire, maintain or contest meaning. Thestruggle to acquire, maintain or contest meaning. The
‘critique’ of cultural studies explores the political‘critique’ of cultural studies explores the political
significance of signs of signs as what they mask or glass,significance of signs of signs as what they mask or glass,
what they refinance, cultural studies, studies thewhat they refinance, cultural studies, studies the
language in and through which meanings are made in alanguage in and through which meanings are made in a
particular culture. Cultural studies questions howparticular culture. Cultural studies questions how
meaning reflect the power struggle within that culturemeaning reflect the power struggle within that culture
studies explore how such certain meanings arestudies explore how such certain meanings are
privileged in that culture at the cost of others.privileged in that culture at the cost of others.

6. • What is cultural studiesWhat is cultural studies??
 ““cultural studies is not a tightlycultural studies is not a tightly
coherent unified movement with acoherent unified movement with a
fixed agenda, bit a loosely coherentfixed agenda, bit a loosely coherent
group tendencies, issues, andgroup tendencies, issues, and
questions.”questions.”
 Cultural studies is composed ofCultural studies is composed of
elements of Maxims, postelements of Maxims, post
structuralism and post modernism,structuralism and post modernism,
feminism, gender studies,feminism, gender studies,
anthropology, sociology, race andanthropology, sociology, race and
ethnic studies, film theory, urbanethnic studies, film theory, urban
studies, public policy, popularstudies, public policy, popular
culture studies and post colonialculture studies and post colonial
studies: those field that concentratestudies: those field that concentrate
on social and cultural forces thaton social and cultural forces that
either creates community or causeeither creates community or cause
division and alienation.division and alienation.

7. Separation of
high and Low
or popular
culture
Political Engaged
Means of production
Interdisciplinary
studies
Four Goals of
Cultural studies

8. •Cultural studies transcends theCultural studies transcends the
confines of a particular disciplineconfines of a particular discipline
such as literary criticism or history.such as literary criticism or history.
 Interdisciplinary it means that branch of study.Interdisciplinary it means that branch of study.
 It involves the combining of two or more academicIt involves the combining of two or more academic
discipline into one activity.discipline into one activity.
 It is about creating new by crossing boundaries,It is about creating new by crossing boundaries,
and thinking across them.and thinking across them.
 It is related to an interdisciplinary field, which isIt is related to an interdisciplinary field, which is
an organizational unit that crosses traditionalan organizational unit that crosses traditional
boundaries between academic disciplinary emerge.boundaries between academic disciplinary emerge.

9.  The termThe term
Interdisciplinary isInterdisciplinary is
applied withinapplied within
education and trainingeducation and training
pedagogies topedagogies to
describes studies thatdescribes studies that
use methods anduse methods and
insight of severalinsight of several
established disciplineestablished discipline
or traditional field ofor traditional field of
historyhistory..

10.  Cultural studies involves scrutinizing theCultural studies involves scrutinizing the
cultural phenomenon of a text – for examplecultural phenomenon of a text – for example
Italian opera, a Latino telenovela, theItalian opera, a Latino telenovela, the
architectural style of prisons, body piercing andarchitectural style of prisons, body piercing and
drawing conclusion about the change in textualdrawing conclusion about the change in textual
phenomena over time.phenomena over time.
 Cultural studies is not necessarily aboutCultural studies is not necessarily about
literature in the traditional sense or even aboutliterature in the traditional sense or even about
‘art’.‘art’.

11. • Cultural study in Political EngagedCultural study in Political Engaged
 Cultural critics see themselves asCultural critics see themselves as
‘oppositional”, not only within‘oppositional”, not only within
their own disciplinary but totheir own disciplinary but to
many of the power structure of amany of the power structure of a
society at large.society at large.
 The question inequality withinThe question inequality within
power structure and seek topower structure and seek to
discover models for restructuringdiscover models for restructuring
relationship among dominantrelationship among dominant
and minority.and minority.
 Individual subjectivity isIndividual subjectivity is
culturally constructedculturally constructed..

12. • ContinueContinue....
 Such a notion taken to a philosophical extremeSuch a notion taken to a philosophical extreme
denies the autonomy of the individual.denies the autonomy of the individual.
 Whether an actual person or a character inWhether an actual person or a character in
literature, a rebuttal of the traditional humanityliterature, a rebuttal of the traditional humanity
“great Man” or “great book” theory.“great Man” or “great book” theory.
 A relocation of aesthetics and culture from theA relocation of aesthetics and culture from the
idea realms of taste and sensibility into theidea realms of taste and sensibility into the
arena of a whole society’s everyday life as it isarena of a whole society’s everyday life as it is
constructed.constructed.

13. • Cultural studies denies the separation ofCultural studies denies the separation of
‘high’ and ‘low’ or Elite and popular culture‘high’ and ‘low’ or Elite and popular culture::
 Culture critics today work to transfer the termCulture critics today work to transfer the term
culture to include mass culture, whether popular,culture to include mass culture, whether popular,
folk and urban.folk and urban.
 Jean Baudrilland and Andreas Hussein, culturalJean Baudrilland and Andreas Hussein, cultural
critics argues that after world war 2 the distinctioncritics argues that after world war 2 the distinction
among high, low and mass culture collapsed.among high, low and mass culture collapsed.
 Often only reflects prevailing social, economicsOften only reflects prevailing social, economics
and political power basesand political power bases..

14.  The image of India that were circulated during theThe image of India that were circulated during the
colonial rule of the British Raj by writers likecolonial rule of the British Raj by writers like
Rudyard Kipling seem innocent, but reveal anRudyard Kipling seem innocent, but reveal an
entrenched imperialist argument for whiteentrenched imperialist argument for white
superiority and word wide domination of othersuperiority and word wide domination of other
races especially Asians.races especially Asians.
 Transgressing of boundaries among disciplinesTransgressing of boundaries among disciplines
high and low can make cultural studies just plainhigh and low can make cultural studies just plain
fun.fun.
 ““The birth of captain Jack Sparrow” An analysisThe birth of captain Jack Sparrow” An analysis
for source of Johnny Depp’s funky performance infor source of Johnny Depp’s funky performance in
Disney’s pirates of the Caribbean.Disney’s pirates of the Caribbean.

15. • Means of productionMeans of production
 Cultural studies analysis not only theCultural studies analysis not only the
cultural work but also the means ofcultural work but also the means of
production.production.
 Marxist critics have long recognized theMarxist critics have long recognized the
importance of such paraliterary question:importance of such paraliterary question:
1.1. Who supports a given artist?Who supports a given artist?
2.2. Who published the book?Who published the book?
3.3. How are these books distributed?How are these books distributed?
4.4. Who buys books?Who buys books?

16.  Janice Radway’s study of the AmericanJanice Radway’s study of the American
romance, novel and its readers, readingromance, novel and its readers, reading
the romance, women, patriarchy andthe romance, women, patriarchy and
popular literature, which demonstrates thepopular literature, which demonstrates the
textual effects of the publishing industry’stextual effects of the publishing industry’s
decisions about books that will minimizedecisions about books that will minimize
its financial risks.its financial risks.
 Cultural studies thus joins subjectivity.Cultural studies thus joins subjectivity.
 Culture in relation to individual lives withCulture in relation to individual lives with
engagement, a direct approach toengagement, a direct approach to
attacking social ills.attacking social ills.
 Though cultural studies practitioner denyThough cultural studies practitioner deny
“humanism” or “the humanities” as“humanism” or “the humanities” as
universal categories, they strive for whatuniversal categories, they strive for what
they might call “social reason’’.they might call “social reason’’.
 Often resembles the goals and values ofOften resembles the goals and values of
humanistic and democratic ideals.humanistic and democratic ideals.

17. conclusionconclusion
 In culture this main four goals are mostIn culture this main four goals are most
important part for understanding theimportant part for understanding the
cultural studies. cultural studies thuscultural studies. cultural studies thus
joins subjectivity – that is, culture injoins subjectivity – that is, culture in
relation to individual lives- withrelation to individual lives- with
engagement, a direct approachengagement, a direct approach
attacking social ills.attacking social ills.