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Cultural Studies Now (CULS40011)

HonoursPoints: 12.5Not available in 2026

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Overview

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This subject will introduce students to the current state of the discipline of Cultural Studies. Students will be oriented in relation to the major theoretical traditions, methodological approaches, empirical and political pre-occupations, and national traditions in cultural studies. We will do this by considering particular contemporary configurations of cultural studies in relation to specific research problems. Students will develop both a synoptic sense of the shape of Cultural Studies now and focused expertise which will enable them to engage with some of the most significant contemporary problems from cultural competence and equity to cultural sustainability.

Intended learning outcomes

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

  • Comprehend the analytical domain of Cultural Studies
  • Appreciate the intellectual dynamics which have shaped the development of Cultural Studies as a discipline
  • Understand the key contemporary theoretical and methodological issues in Cultural Studies
  • Produce specific accounts of Cultural Studies.

Generic skills

At the completion of this subject, students should gain the following generic skills:

  • Social, ethical, and cultural understanding of self and others through detailed analysis of contemporary culture in its various local, national and transnational contexts, the reception of new ideas and the contextualisation of judgments, the adaptation of knowledge to new situations
  • Critical analysis and synthesis through the study of competing theories of contemporary culture and their application to diverse examples, the engagement with and processing of different critical perspectives across the interdisciplinary field of cultural studies, the development of independent thought and arguments
  • Effective written and oral communication through seminar discussions and debates, the preparation and execution of written assessment exercises, exposure to and emulation of competing genres and protocols of critical writing
  • Information management and information literacy through the practice of library and archival research and engagement with electronic databases
  • Teamwork, flexibility, and tolerance through group discussions in seminars, reception of new ideas and opinions, engaging and cooperating with other people from diverse backgrounds and
  • Time management and planning through managing and organizing workloads for recommended reading, seminar presentations, and assessment requirements.

Last updated: 18 February 2026