What do you think?
Why Cultural Studies
Why Cultural Studies? is a rallying call for a reinvigoration of the project of cultural studies that provides a critical analysis of its meteoric rise to the academic fore and makes a convincing argument for the pressing need for a renewed investment in, and re-evaluation of, its core ideals.
- GenresCultural Studies
206 pages, Paperback
First published August 14, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 29, 2015
I think I encountered Why Cultural Studies? in the Wikipedia entry on cultural studies. I'm trying to learn more about the discipline--or the interdisciplinary practice, if you prefer--and spent an hour or so digging through the book to see what I could learn.
The book assumes a working knowledge of the practice and seems to be written for cultural studies graduates and faculty as a kind of metadiscourse on the subject, so I wouldn't recommend the book as an introduction to cultural studies. I think the title "Whither Cultural Studies?" might have better represented the contents, though admittedly that's not as sexy.
Even as a novice, however, I was able to learn about the current state of cultural studies and my interests were validated enough to learn more. This is, in part, thanks to the jargon-less, pretense-less prose that's consistent with the author's belief that cultural studies needs to be accessible to a wide audience.
The most helpful sections of the book for me, a newcomer to the subject, were "What is it?" and "What's Next?". As an introductory text, I would have appreciated a more developed picture of how culture studies works in practice and how it relates to similar projects, such as critical theory.
Overall, the book demonstrates cultural studies' significance and points to ways that it could be more effective and relevant in the world. It's inspiring to learn that a political and intellectual project like this exists, and frustrating that I had to discover it on my own; that our educational system isn't sincere enough to have brought it to my attention as an option for engagement with the world.
The book assumes a working knowledge of the practice and seems to be written for cultural studies graduates and faculty as a kind of metadiscourse on the subject, so I wouldn't recommend the book as an introduction to cultural studies. I think the title "Whither Cultural Studies?" might have better represented the contents, though admittedly that's not as sexy.
Even as a novice, however, I was able to learn about the current state of cultural studies and my interests were validated enough to learn more. This is, in part, thanks to the jargon-less, pretense-less prose that's consistent with the author's belief that cultural studies needs to be accessible to a wide audience.
The most helpful sections of the book for me, a newcomer to the subject, were "What is it?" and "What's Next?". As an introductory text, I would have appreciated a more developed picture of how culture studies works in practice and how it relates to similar projects, such as critical theory.
Overall, the book demonstrates cultural studies' significance and points to ways that it could be more effective and relevant in the world. It's inspiring to learn that a political and intellectual project like this exists, and frustrating that I had to discover it on my own; that our educational system isn't sincere enough to have brought it to my attention as an option for engagement with the world.
April 7, 2022
A comprehensive guide to the "what", "how", and "why" of cultural studies written in a simple friendly language.
Although it's not perfect, this is still a very good book.
The very first chapter dealt with preliminary and contextualising knowledge that is in my opinion disposable to an extent (I'm sure anyone looking for a short, concise definition of cultural studies will skip it). Things like: why ask why?/why bother?, What other cultural studies practitioners think of new attempts to define the subject, why it is discomforting to engage in discourse about the subject, and why does the author think he's qualified to talk about it.
The second chapter is an attempt to define cultural studies by outlining it's nature and most important features (basically what it is), and what it is not.
At the beginning, the author talks a lot about the difficulty of coming up with a good definition of what cultural studies is, to the point that you think he won't even attempt to do it (that's how it felt, anyway). But then he does, and it's unsurprisingly vague. He then goes on to explore each core notion of the definition which made things much clearer and comprehensible. He went on outlining point by point what cultural studies specifically is, and then moved on to outline what it isn't; this whole process moulded the definition into its shape until it became clear and understandable.
Chapter three titled "What's wrong?" Is a diagnosis of the current state of cultural studies, and the author lays out 4 crises: The crisis of the university, the crisis of academic publishing, the generational crisis, and the identity crisis. The author goes through each crisis and details it, without proposing solutions, however.
In the fourth chapter, titled "What it was", the author draws on the history of cultural studies, and the importance the Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies (CCCS) of Birmingham has played in it. All the while, however, reminding the reader that its position in the field's history, and all of its importance doesn't make it central and/or the only source or model for cultural studies in the past.
Finally, the author devotes the latest chapter, titled "What's next?" to present his sort of 'manifesto'. Nine suggestions for how cultural studies might approach the difficult task of revitalizing itself.
Although it's not perfect, this is still a very good book.
The very first chapter dealt with preliminary and contextualising knowledge that is in my opinion disposable to an extent (I'm sure anyone looking for a short, concise definition of cultural studies will skip it). Things like: why ask why?/why bother?, What other cultural studies practitioners think of new attempts to define the subject, why it is discomforting to engage in discourse about the subject, and why does the author think he's qualified to talk about it.
The second chapter is an attempt to define cultural studies by outlining it's nature and most important features (basically what it is), and what it is not.
At the beginning, the author talks a lot about the difficulty of coming up with a good definition of what cultural studies is, to the point that you think he won't even attempt to do it (that's how it felt, anyway). But then he does, and it's unsurprisingly vague. He then goes on to explore each core notion of the definition which made things much clearer and comprehensible. He went on outlining point by point what cultural studies specifically is, and then moved on to outline what it isn't; this whole process moulded the definition into its shape until it became clear and understandable.
Chapter three titled "What's wrong?" Is a diagnosis of the current state of cultural studies, and the author lays out 4 crises: The crisis of the university, the crisis of academic publishing, the generational crisis, and the identity crisis. The author goes through each crisis and details it, without proposing solutions, however.
In the fourth chapter, titled "What it was", the author draws on the history of cultural studies, and the importance the Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies (CCCS) of Birmingham has played in it. All the while, however, reminding the reader that its position in the field's history, and all of its importance doesn't make it central and/or the only source or model for cultural studies in the past.
Finally, the author devotes the latest chapter, titled "What's next?" to present his sort of 'manifesto'. Nine suggestions for how cultural studies might approach the difficult task of revitalizing itself.
March 17, 2024
"Cultural studies is supposed to be controversial. It's supposed to make powerful institutions uncomfortable. It's supposed to pose smart, provocative challenges to the status quo." (p.167)
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews