Teaching Cultural Theory

1
Teaching Cultural Theory

• Valentina Gueorguieva
• Department of cultural studies
• University of Sofia St.Kliment Ohridski
• valentina_gueorguieva_at_yahoo.com

2
A comparison of two courses

• Cultural Studies an Introduction
• (BA level, students from different programs
  (distant learning), long hours of lecturing
• Cultural Theory
• (BA in cultural studies, limited time)

3
The structure

• Two different ways of structuring
• According to main themes in cultural studies
• Following the historical development of three
  traditions in cultural theory

4
The concept of culture(the structure of the
cultural studies course)

Culture
With big C
As a way of life
As commodity
5
Structure of the course
Cultural products
As a way of life
With big C
Cultural theory
Economic exchange and state politics towards
culture
Identity, collective identities, multiculturalism
History and memory
Key concepts and ideas
Part Four
Part Three
Part Two
Part One
6
A chronology of cultural theories
7
(No Transcript)
8
Teaching methods

• Problems of lecturing
• Long periods
• Large public
• Active learning in lectures
• Exercises with ordinary language
• Analyses in class
• The poster technique

9
(No Transcript)
10
A program?

• Cultural studies is engaged in three different
  senses.
• First, in the sense that it is not neutral in
  relation to the exclusions, injustices and
  prejudices that it observes. It tends to position
  itself on the side of those to whom social
  structures offer least, so that here engaged
  means political, critical.
• Second, it is engaged in that it aims to enhance
  and celebrate cultural experiences to
  communicate enjoyment of a wide variety of
  cultural forms in part by analysing them and
  their social underpinnings.
• And third, and this marks its real difference
  from other kinds of academic work, it aims to
  deal with culture as a part of everyday life,
  without objectifying it. In fact cultural studies
  aspires to join to engage in the world
  itself.
• During, S.2005 Cultural Studies A critical
  Introduction. Routledge.

11
Visualizing cultural theory

• With or without .ppt?
• What is there to visualize?
• Cultural theory as a portrait gallery
• Cultural theory as a comics

12
(No Transcript)
13
History of phenomenological movement
?????? ?????? (1859-1938) ????? ???????? -
????????
?. ?. ??? ????? 1938? ????????
??????? ??????? (1909-1995) 1928-9 ????????
?????? ???? (1899-1959) ????? ?? ????
?????? ???????? (1889-1976)
?????? (??????)
???-??? ????? (1905-1980) 1934 ????????
????? ????? ???? ?????? ??.???????
?????? ? ?????? 1965
???? ????? (1906-1975)
?. ?????-????? (1908-1961) ??????
Husserliana 1950-
????-????? ??????? (1900-2002)
??? ?????? (1913-2005) 1940-1945 ?????????
??????????- ????? ????????? ???????
?????? ??????
????? ????????
14
?arxisms
?????? ???
????????, ?????? ??????????????? ????????
1818-1883
????? ????? ??????????
Frankfurt school
BCCCS
??? ??????? ?????????
?????????????? ???????
??????? ?????? ?????????
??????? ?? ?????????? ???
15
Communicating materials to students

• Library reader
• E-mail
• Page of the course
• http//valentina.gueorguieva.googlepages.com/home

16
Assessment

• Learning through assessment
• Uses and ruses with multiple choice tests
• Open-ended questions
• Problems with final essays
• Alternative forms of assessment

17

• Comparisons between two traditions in cultural
  studies(recommendation from Sarah Amsler)
• Conclusion a timely assessment

18
Students evaluation of the course

• for Cultural Studies an Introduction
• Describe the aim of doing evaluation
• Ask about students expectations
• Structure of the course and balance of topics
• Students preferred topics
• General level of teaching
• List the three things you liked/disliked most
• Comments on assessment

19
Recommendations from reviewers

• Too ambitious comprehensive courses
• Include Bourdieu
• Include a structural Marxist (Althusser)
• Integrate readings with course schedule
• Assessment
• Integrate course aims and objectives with forms
  of assessment
• Abandon multiple-choice tests in the cultural
  theory course
• Cultural Theory course still lacks feminist
  theorists

20

• Thank you for your reviews and comments,
• and for your attention!