Cultural Studies - Overview

Overview

Cultural Studies is the study of how a society creates and shares meaning. Cultural studies aims to examine its subject matter in terms of cultural practices and their relation to power. For example, a study of a subculture (such as white working class youth in London) would consider the social practices of the youth as they relate to the dominant classes. It has the objective of understanding culture in all its complex forms and of analyzing the social and political context in which culture manifests itself. It is both the object of study and the location of political criticism and action. For example, not only would a cultural studies scholar study an object, but she/he would connect this study to a larger, progressive political project. It attempts to expose and reconcile the division of knowledge, to overcome the split between tacit cultural knowledge and objective (universal) forms of knowledge. It has a commitment to an ethical evaluation of modern society and to a radical line of political action.