Cultural Studies

Chair: Eve Oishi
(909) 621-8612
Humanities@cgu.edu
www.cgu.edu/culturalstudies

Academic Program

Cultural Studies situates culture as a site of struggle among structures of power, representation, and subjectivity. Our methods of study are critical in so far as we emphasize not only the ideological dimension of cultural practices but also their radical political potential. We are also reflexive in our approach in so far as we emphasize the ideological investment by cultural studies in the processes of its own production. The theoretical perspectives in which our faculty specializes include feminist and queer studies, film and media studies, post-colonial studies, psychoanalysis, science studies, as well as the Frankfurt and Birmingham Schools.

We are concerned to link cultural theory to cultural practices and activist politics—students are encouraged to enroll in a field studies seminar that promotes participation in and analysis of the local community’s cultural practices. Such work may serve as a basis for the research component of their master’s and doctoral work.

Admission Requirements. M.A. and Ph. D applicants to the Cultural Studies program are required to submit a 10 to 20 page writing sample along with the other application materials.

Certificates and Concentrations

The department offers a concentration in media studies, a concentration in museum studies, and a graduate certificate in Africana studies.

Students have considerable choice in the design of their course of study, including choice of concentrations and minor fields. Working closely with faculty advisors, students devise a course of study that gives them intellectual depth in Cultural Studies as well as one other traditional humanities field. Cultural studies courses are also an attractive option for students obtaining degrees in the social sciences, in policy planning, or for students working toward a dual degree with an M.B.A.

Advising. Each student is assigned an advisor upon entering the program. A student may change advisors, but the initial assignment guarantees immediate coordination and planning to each student. Advisors also work with students in selecting faculty committees for the M.A. and Ph.D. exams, theses, and dissertations.