Interrogating Cultural Studies Theory, Politics and Practice

by Bowman, Paul

• ISBN13: 9780745317151
• ISBN10: 0745317154
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2003-01-20
• Publisher: Pluto Press

Summary

This book presents an original and innovative new approach to the field of cultural studies in the form of a series of dynamically executed interviews with some of the world's leading and some of the most challenging emergent cultural theorists, from both sides of the Atlantic and beyond: Professor Mieke Bal, Professor Catherine Belsey, Professor Steven Connor, Professor Simon Critchley, Professor Thomas Docherty, Dr Jeremy Gilbert, Professor Sue Golding, Professor Lynette Hunter, Dr Martin McQuillan, Professor John Mowitt, Professor Christopher Norris, Professor Griselda Pollock, Professor Adrian Rifkin, Professor Jeremy Valentine, Professor Julian Wolfreys, and Professor Slavoj Zizek are all included here. The book is framed by lively and informative introductions, which introduce the work of these thinkers, and which also introduce the reader to the crucial importance of the issues that the interviews address.The result is an entertaining and hugely useful introduction to the key ideas in the field, the strengths and problematic weaknesses of cultural studies as a discipline, allowing the reader to chart its development, and to identify emerging trends. This book is ideal for students of cultural studies and the interdisciplinary arts and humanities, and will be of great interest to teachers and researchers working within a very wide range of areas of cultural studies.

Author Biography

Paul Bowman is lecturer in cultural studies at Bath Spa University College. He has been an editor of the international cultural studies journal, parallax, and is currently working on further books on the politics, pragmatics, and philosophies of cultural studies.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	vii
Introduction: Interrogating Cultural Studies	1	(18)
Paul Bowman
Part One: From Cultural Studies
From Cultural Studies to Cultural Criticism?	19	(11)
Catherine Belsey
From Cultural Studies to Cultural Analysis: `A Controlled Reflection on the Formation of Method'	30	(11)
Mieke Bal
The Projection of Cultural Studies	41	(18)
Martin McQuillan
Part Two: Cultural Studies (&) Philosophy
Why I Love Cultural Studies	59	(17)
Simon Critchley
Two Cheers for Cultural Studies: A Philosopher's View	76	(25)
Chris Norris
Part Three: For Cultural Studies
Inventing Recollection	101	(24)
Adrian Rifkin
Becoming Cultural Studies: The Daydream of the Political	125	(20)
Griselda Pollock
Part Four: What Cultural Studies
Friends and Enemies: Which Side is Cultural Studies On?	145	(17)
Jeremy Gilbert
... As If Such a Thing Existed...	162	(13)
Julian Wolfreys
Part Five: Positioning Cultural Studies
Cultural Studies, in Theory	175	(14)
John Mowitt
The Subject Position of Cultural Studies: Is There a Problem?	189	(18)
Jeremy Valentine
What Can Cultural Studies Do?	207	(14)
Steven Connor
Part Six: Against Cultural Studies
Responses	221	(12)
Thomas Docherty
Unruly Fugues	233	(20)
Lynette Hunter
Notes on Contributors	253	(3)
Index	256