Seminar Cultural Studies Theory and Practice Di 10.30

Historically, the field of -cultural studies- emerged during the late 1960s and 1970s from the so-called Birmingham School, where it was developed within a broadly neo-Marxist framework. Today, the term is used in a much more comprehensive sense, however. -Cultural studies- has become an umbrella designation for a wide range of theoretical perspectives on cultural objects and practices. What these approaches have in common is their critical focus on the relationship between language, media, culture, and structures of domination as well as their politically engaged style of analysis. Yet, they do not constitute a unified discipline; rather, cultural studies is characterized precisely by its interdisciplinary nature. In the words of sociologist Stuart Hall, one of the founding fathers of cultural studies in Britain, -Cultural studies is not one thing, it is never one thing.- This makes it rather difficult to provide a general overview of the field, and our approach to cultural studies will have to be necessarily selective. By way of introduction, we will read accounta of the beginnings of cultural studies in Britain and then discuss two studies co-authored by Stuart Hall himself: Doing Cultural Studies: The Story of the Sony Walkman (1996; 2nd. rev. ed. 2013) and Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices (1997; 2nd rev. ed. 2013). On this basis, we will then explore some of the other key concepts, methods, and subject matters of cultural studies. Our main focus will be on issues that are pertinent to literary study; throughout the term, we will apply the critical tools of cultural studies to contextual readings of -texts- (in the broadest sense of the word), including the Sherlock Holmes stories of Arthur Conan Doyle. Oliver Marchart's (German-language) book Cultural Studies is recommended reading; published in 2007, it provides a concise and lucid (and relatively up-to-date) introduction to the field, and it is available in a reasonably priced paperback edition (ISBN: 978-3825228835). To be purchased : Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories, Volume I (Bantam Classics, 1986); ISBN: 978-0553212419. All other course reading will be made available electronically (on ILIAS). Literaturübersetzen (MA, PO 2013) Universität Düsseldorf SoSe 2016 Dr. Frank Michael