What are critical-cultural studies?

1. What are critical-cultural studies? • Color me skeptical: takes nothing for granted. • Borrows heavily from sociology, particularly from “conflict” perspective (Marx). • Is interdisciplinary. • Is concerned with power structures and inequalities. • Concerned with creating a more just society and a more populist media.

2. Critical Theory: “Frankfurt School” • Institute for Social Research (InstitutfürSozialforschung), Frankfurt, 1923. • Led by sociologists Max Horkheimer, Theodor Adorno. • Greatly Influenced by Sigmund Freud; incorporated elements of psychoanalysis. • Anti-authoritarian: critical of both capitalism and communism. • Moved to US (Columbia University) during Nazi era. • Associated (but not affiliated) figures: • Walter Benjamin • Erich Fromm • Herbert Marcuse • JurgenHabermas

3. Research methods • Prefers qualitative (i.e., interpretive) analysis to quantitative (numerical). • Not convinced of the supremacy of scientific method (“positivism”). • Believes there are no objective viewpoints (“pragmatism”). • Borrowing from lit-crit, it applies critical (i.e, skeptical or “close”) readings of texts. • TV, film, and music are also considered texts.

4. Major questions • “What do these images really mean? • “Whose ideology do they reflect?” • “What are we being asked to do or to believe?” • “Is it in our own best interests to do these things?” • “Whose interests are being served?”

5. Cultural Studies Originated in 1969 as Center for Contemporary Cultural Studies, Birmingham. Believes there are other societal divisions besides class, which Marx neglected: Racial/ethnic. Gender: feminist studies. Sexual orientation : queer studies. Disagrees with hypodermic needle/propaganda model; leans toward active audiences and polysemic readings Major figures: • Richard Hoggart (founder). • Raymond Williams (theorist). • Stuart Hall (sociologist). • John Fiske.

6. Political economy: Examines: • Who owns the media. See Who Owns What (CJR) http://www.cjr.org/resources/ • Media owners’ relationship(s) to the ruling class/power elite. • How the media serves political power and private agendas. • Major figures: • Noam Chomsky/Edward Herman • Robert McChesney • Douglas Kellner • Erik Barnouw

7. Parenti: What the media teach us “[F]ilms and television programs propagate images and ideologies that are supportive of imperialism, phobic anticommunism, capitalism, racism, sexism, militarism, authoritarianism, violence, vigilantism, and anti-working-class attitudes. More specifically, media dramas teach us that: • Individual effort is preferable to collective action. • Free enterprise is the best economic system. • The ills of society are caused by individual malefactors, not the economic system. • Monetary gain is most worthy objective in life. • Affluent professionals are more interesting than blue-collar or service workers. • All Americans are equal, but some must prove themselves worthy of equality. • Women and minorities are not as capable, effective, or as interesting as white males. • The police should be given a freer hand in combating criminals, using generous applications of violence without too much attention to constitutional rights. • There are a few unworthy persons in our institutions, but they are dealt with and deprived of their positions of responsibility. • U.S. military force is directed only toward laudable goals, although individuals in the military may sometimes abuse their power. • Western industrial and military might, especially that of the U.S., has been a civilizing force for the benefit of “backward” peoples throughout the Third World. • The U.S. and the West have long been threatened from abroad by foreign aggressors, such as Russians, communists, terrorists and swarthy hordes of savages as well as un-American subversives and conspirators at home. These threats can only be eradicated through vigilant counterintelligence and sufficient doses of force and violence. Parenti, Michael. Make-Believe Media. 1992.