120106 VO Introduction to Cultural and Regional Studies (2009S)

This lecture course will introduce student to major theoretical approaches, key practices and selected issues relevant to the study of culture/s. We will explore a variety of topics such as the "culture and civilisation" tradition", the "high/low debate" or the concept of "imagined communities"; we will look at "culture and meaning making processes", learn about the production and consumption of cultural artefacts and investigate key issues such as gendered identities, spatial practices or the interrelation between power and knowledge. There will be also opportunity to "do" cultural studies and we will apply theoretical models to a wide range of cultural material with a focus on visual representations.