Culture Theory

Study Course Description

Course Description Statuss:Approved

Course Description Version:8.00

Study Course Accepted:02.02.2024 12:26:17

Study Course Information
Course Code:		KSK_136		LQF level:		Level 7
Credit Points:		2.00		ECTS:		3.00
Branch of Science:		Communication Sciences; Library Science		Target Audience:		Communication Science
Study Course Supervisor
Course Supervisor:		Ilze Fedosejeva
Study Course Implementer
Structural Unit:		Faculty of Social Sciences
The Head of Structural Unit:
Contacts:		Dzirciema street 16, Rīga, szfrsu[pnkts]lv
Study Course Planning
Full-Time - Semester No.1
Lectures (count)		6	Lecture Length (academic hours)		2	Total Contact Hours of Lectures		12
Classes (count)		4	Class Length (academic hours)		2	Total Contact Hours of Classes		8
Total Contact Hours								20
Study course description
Preliminary Knowledge:
Social Theories.
Objective:
To impart knowledge of processes, theories, and paradigms of culture within post-structuralism.
Topic Layout (Full-Time)
No.	Topic			Type of Implementation		Number	Venue
1	Cultural theory in the mirror. Cultural turn in humanities and social sciences.			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
2	Hermeneutics: The Problem of Understanding in the Social Sciences and Humanities.			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
3	Linguistic turn a turning point. Culture as a structure: Structuralism, poststructuralism, discourse theory.			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
4	Culture and power: postcolonial theory, cultural studies.			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
				Classes		1.00	auditorium
5	Culture and Gender: Gender Studies.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
6	Culture as Text: Interpretive Anthropology.			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
7	Culture and stories. Narrative theory. Cultural memory.			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
8	Latvian contemporary culture from a theoretical point of view.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
9	Contemporary cultural theories in a comparative perspective. Overview.			Classes		1.00	auditorium
Assessment
Unaided Work:
1. One has to analyse a cultural phenomenon or subculture in the urban environment and present their own version, interpretation during the classes. 2. One has to read and critically analyse one of the topical works of analysis of culture theory and present the text analysis in the audience: criticism, context, student’s opinion on the author’s ability to explain the generation and functioning of the concept of “culture”. The text read is presented at the end of the course. In order to evaluate the quality of the study course as a whole, the student must fill out the study course evaluation questionnaire on the Student Portal.
Assessment Criteria:
The final grade consists of three components: 1. Text analysis in the seminar - 40%. In the seminar, the student presents the analysis of the text proposed by the teacher (Power Point presentation). The presentation should include: 1) the context in which the text was characterized; 2) the main theses put forward in the text; 3) an outline of the author's reasoning, 4) evaluation of the author's reasoning; 5) evaluation of the relevance of the ideas presented in the text (Why should/shouldn't someone read this text today?). The time allotted for the presentation is 10 minutes, 5 minutes for discussion. NB! Retelling of Wikipedia pages will not be accepted. 2. The student's freely chosen analysis of a current phenomenon of modern Latvian culture in the form of an essay - 50%. The theory on which the study/analysis is based must be indicated in the analysis. A necessary part of the essay is a list of references and used literature/sources. 3. Student's work in lectures and seminars - 10%.
Final Examination (Full-Time):		Exam (Written)
Final Examination (Part-Time):
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge:		Students gain knowledge of the spectrum of cultural theories in the postmodernism culture.
Skills:		Students gain skills in analysing cultural concepts and developing a critical distance to media content.
Competencies:		Students will be competent in analysing cultural processes.
Bibliography
No.	Reference
Required Reading
1	Assmann. A. Introduction to cultural studies: topics, concepts, issues. Berlin, 2012.
2	Bachman- Medick D. Cultural Turns: New Orientations in the Study of Culture. Berlin, 2016.
3	Barker Ch., Jane E.A. Cultural Studies: Theory and Practice. SAGE Publications, 2016.
4	Groh A. Theories of Culture. London, 2019.
5	Milner A. Contemporary cultural theory : an introduction. New York : Routledge, 2002.
6	Anderson B. Imagined communities. (Vismaz 2 nodaļas pēc brīvas izvēles)
7	Assmann A. Jaunais īgnums par memoriālo kultūru. Iejaukšanās. Rīga, 2018.
8	Barts R. Mitoloģijas. R., b.g.
9	Batlere Dž. Dzimtes nemiers. R., 2012.
10	Bērks P. Kultūru hibriditāte.R., 2012.
11	Bhabha H. The Location of Culture. London, 2004. (Jebkura viena nodaļa)
12	Burdjē P. Praktiskā jēga. ( 1.- 4.nodaļa)
13	Crary J. Techniques of the Observer. Cambridge, 1990.
14	Derrida J. Writing and Difference. 10.nodaļa.
15	Fuko M. Seksualitātes vēsture. 1.sēj.
16	Gīrcs K. Kultūru interpretācija. 1., 2. daļa.
17	Hantingtons S. Civilizāciju sadursme.(Fragmenti pēc izvēles).
18	Holl S. The Work of Representation // Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices. SAGE Publications, 1997.
19	Schechner R. Performance theory. (Pirmās 3 nodaļas)
20	Said E. Orientalism. (Ievads + 1.nodaļa)
21	Spivak G. Vai pakļautie spēj runāt? R., 2012.
Additional Reading
1	Reckwitz A. Die Transformation der Kulturtheorien: Zur Entwicklung eines Theorieprogramms, 2000.