Theories of Cultural Studies

1. Theories of cultural studies

2. Marxism and cultural studies

Cultural studies and
Marxism have had a
complex relationship. While
cultural studies isn't strictly
Marxist, it has found
inspiration in Marxist ideas
while also criticizing them.

3. Marxism and cultural studies

However,
Marxism has been
criticized for its belief in an
inevitable
future
where
capitalism will be replaced by
a classless society.

4. Marxism and cultural studies

In
engaging with Marxism, cultural
studies has focused on the relationship
between
structure
and
action.
Marxism suggests that there are
patterns or structures that shape
human
existence,
but
it
also
emphasizes the role of human agency
in bringing about change.

5. Marxism and cultural studies

In engaging with Marxism, cultural studies
has focused on the relationship between
structure and action. Marxism suggests that
there are patterns or structures that shape
human existence, but it also emphasizes the
role of human agency in bringing about
change.

6. Culture is ordinary

Culturalism
emphasizes that
culture is something ordinary
and that people actively and
creatively
construct
shared
meaningful practices. It focuses
on studying how individuals
create cultural meanings in their
everyday lives, rather than just
focusing on high art.

7. Culture is ordinary

For scholars like Williams and
Thompson, culturalism is a
form of historical cultural
materialism that examines
how meaning evolves over
time.

8.

Structuralism
Structuralism is a way of thinking
that focuses on the patterns and
rules that exist outside of
individual people and shape
their behavior. It believes that
meaning is created through
predictable
structures
or
regularities, rather than being
solely influenced by individual
choices.

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10. Structuralism

Structuralism is one of the most influential intellectual movements in the
twentieth-century which embraces a wide variety of intellectual disciplines,
such as linguistics, aesthetics, anthropology, sociology, and psychoanalysis.
But it must be noted that structuralism is above all a “method”. As a method,
structuralism aims to analyze isolated events or meanings in terms of their
underlying structural laws. It seeks to comprehend “particulars” by describing
their interrelationship within the totality of general codes which govern them.
It also looks for the deep and other hidden structures beneath the surface
manifestations of meaning.

11.

Structuralism, therefore, can be broadly defined as an
attempt to unify the human sciences by applying a single
methodology derived from Ferdinand de Saussure’s
model of linguistics. As is well known, Ferdinand de
Saussure is generally recognized as the founding father of
the structuralist method of analysis.

12. Deep structures of language

Ferdinand
de Saussure played a crucial role in the development of
structuralism. He argued that meaning is created through a system of
structured differences in language. This means that the significance of
words comes from the rules and conventions that organize the language
itself, rather than from specific ways individuals use language in their
everyday lives.

13. Deep structures of language

In cultural studies, structuralism looks at how meaning is created through the deep
structures of language. It believes that meaning is not solely based on what people
intend, but on the language itself.
For example, let's think about the word "dog." In structuralism, the meaning of "dog" is
not just about what someone thinks of when they hear the word. Instead, it is
determined by the rules and conventions of language that organize words and their
meanings. The word "dog" gains meaning by its relationship to other words and
concepts within the language system.

14. Deep structures of language

In short, Saussure and structuralism focus more on the underlying structures of language
that make communication possible, rather than the specific ways people use language
in different situations.
Overall, structuralism in cultural studies explores how cultural meaning is generated
through the deep structures of language and the connections between signs. It
emphasizes the importance of language rules and conventions in shaping meaning
within a culture.

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16. Culture as ‘like a language’

Lévi-Strauss also applied structuralism to food, considering it not only
as something to eat but also as something that carries symbolic
meanings. Cultural conventions dictate what is considered food and
what is not, how it should be eaten, and the associated meanings.
Lévi-Strauss emphasized binary oppositions such as the raw and the
cooked, the edible and the inedible, and nature and culture.
Cooking, in his view, transforms nature into culture and changes the
raw into the cooked.

17.

Culture as ‘like a language’
In summary:
- Culturalism focuses on the production
of meaning by human actors in a
historical
context,
emphasizing
interpretation.

18.

Culture as ‘like a language’
- Structuralism views culture as an expression
of deep structures of language that exist
independently of individual intentions and
restrict them.
-
Structuralism takes a synchronic approach,
analyzing the structures of relationships at
a specific moment, highlighting the
specificity of culture and its distinctiveness
from other phenomena.

19.

• Following Lévi-Strauss, how might this
meal – a pre-prepared frozen dinner –
be good to think with?
• What are some of the visual aspects of
this dish that signify that it might be:
a) food;
b) b) not-food?

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21. Poststructuralism (and postmodernism)

Poststructuralism comes after structuralism and incorporates some of
its ideas while also criticizing and going beyond them. Unlike
structuralism, poststructuralism rejects the notion of a stable
underlying structure that establishes meaning through fixed pairs of
opposites like black-white or good-bad. Instead, meaning is seen as
constantly changing and evolving.

22. Poststructuralism (and postmodernism)

Unlike structuralism, poststructuralism rejects the notion of a stable underlying
structure that establishes meaning through fixed pairs of opposites like blackwhite or good-bad. Instead, meaning is seen as constantly changing and
evolving. It is not limited to individual words, sentences, or specific texts but is
created through the relationships between texts, known as intertextuality. Similar
to structuralism, poststructuralism challenges the idea of a unified and coherent
human subject as the source of stable meanings. It is not limited to individual
words, sentences, or specific texts but is created through the relationships
between texts, known as intertextuality. Similar to structuralism, poststructuralism
challenges the idea of a unified and coherent human subject as the source of
stable meanings.

23. Derrida: the instability of language

Poststructuralism is influenced by philosophers like Derrida and
Foucault. However, since they have different focuses and ideas,
poststructuralism is not a single unified body of work. Derrida
specifically focuses on language and how it challenges the
immediate connection between words and their meanings.
Derrida agrees with Saussure that meaning is created through
the differences between words rather than by referring to
objects in the world. However, he believes that meaning can
never be fixed….

24. Foucault and discursive practices

Like Derrida, Foucault (1972) disagrees with
structuralist theories of language that see it as an
independent, rule-based system. He also
opposes
interpretative
or
hermeneutic
approaches that aim to uncover hidden
meanings in language.
Foucault focuses on describing and analyzing
the surface level of discourse and its effects
within specific historical and material conditions.
For him, discourse encompasses both language
and practice. It refers to how knowledge is
produced through language, giving meaning to
both physical objects and social activities.

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26. Postmodernism

Poststructuralism
and
postmodernism are not the same,
although
they
share
some
similarities. One common aspect is
their approach to epistemology,
which is the study of knowledge.
Both reject the idea that truth is
fixed and unchanging.

27. Postmodernism

Postmodern thinkers like Lyotard and Rorty,
along
with
Foucault,
believe
that
knowledge
is
not
universal
or
transcendental but specific to particular
times and spaces. They view knowledge as
perspectival, meaning that there is no
single, all-encompassing knowledge that
can capture the objective nature of the
world. Instead, multiple viewpoints and
truths are necessary to interpret the
complex and diverse human existence.

28.

Postmodernism also explores cultural changes in contemporary life. It describes a
fragmented, ambiguous, and uncertain world, where personal and social reflection is
prominent. It emphasizes contingency, irony, and the blurring of cultural boundaries.

29.

Poststructuralism and postmodernism both reject essentialism and emphasize the role of
language in shaping cultural meaning. They argue that subjectivity is constructed through
language or discourse, and individuals can occupy multiple subject positions within discourse.