Universidade Nova de Lisboa

Universidade Nova de Lisboa

Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas

Introduction to Culture Studies

Code

711101074

Academic unit

Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas

Department

Línguas, Culturas e Literaturas Modernas

Credits

6

Teacher in charge

Fernando Clara, Gabriela Gândara Terenas

Weekly hours

4

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

1) To acquire a historical and conceptual overview of the cultural theories since the 19th century to the present day.
2) To analyse and discuss the different critical discourses on the notion of culture.
3) To identify and understand the specific features of a range of texts by authors who have concerned themselves with the notion of culture.

Prerequisites

None.

Subject matter

(Class A)
Introduction: What is understood by Culture?
1. The Arnoldian Concept of Culture and its Relationships with Victorian Society
2. Freud: Psychoanalysis as Critique and Theory of Culture
3. Some Eliotian Notes for the Definition of Culture in the Aftermath of the Second World War
4. Raymond Williams, the \"Brimingham School\" and the Development of Cultural Studies in Britain and in the United States
5. The Two Cultures: Snow versus Leavis
6. \"The Bluebeard´s Castle\", Steiner and a Redefinition of Culture in 1971
7. Geertz and an Anthropological Concept of Culture
8. Culture and Post Colonial Studies: Bhaba and Said
9. Adorno, Habermas and the Critical Theory of the \"Frankfurt School\"
10. Representations of Cultures, Imagology and Cultural Memory: Prendergast, Beller-Leerssen e Ricoeur
(Class B)
1. Definitions: Culture vs. Civilization vs. Nature
2. The History of Culture and Cultural Studies
3. Topics: Media, Identity, Space, Power, Popular, Visual, Gender, Postcolonial

Bibliography

Beller, Manfred and Joep Leerssen (eds) (2007). Imagology: the Cultural Construction and Literay Representation of National Characters. A Critical Survey. Amsterdam: Rodopi, volume 13 of the Studia Imagologica.
Chartier, R. (2002). A História Cultural Entre Práticas e Representações. Tradução de M.M. Galhardo. Lisboa: Difel.
Eagleton, Terry (2003). A Ideia de Cultura. Tradução de Sofia Rodrigues. Lisboa: Temas e Debates.
Edgar, A. and P.R. Sedgwick (2008). Cultural Theory: the Key Concepts. London: Routledge.
Payne, Michael (ed) (2000). A Dictionary of Cultural and Critical Theory. Oxford: Blackwell.
Pires, Maria Laura Bettencourt (2006). Teorias da Cultura. Lisboa: Universidade Católica Editora.
Ryan, M. (2010). Cultural Studies: A Practical Introduction. Chichester: Wiley-Blakwell.
Schwanitz, Dietrich (2009). Cultura: Tudo o que é Preciso Saber. Tradução de Lumir Nahodil. Alfragide: Livros d´Hoje.

Teaching method

Theoretical classes (of an predominantly explanatory character) will alternate with practical classes. In the latter, the students will be asked to analyse and comment upon texts previously selected by the teacher, some of which might be the object of oral critical reviews carried out individually or in small groups, depending on the number of students in the class.

Evaluation method

As this is an introductory curricular unit, assessment will focus only on two main areas: 1) participation in the analysis and discussion of texts and tasks and oral presentation of written reviews (20%); 2) a test (80%).

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