Cultural Studies: Workshop by Dr. Kalyani Vallath

Cultural Studies: Workshop by Dr. Kalyani Vallath

        On 26th December 2019, a very informative workshop was organized in the Department of English. The basic purpose of this workshop is to make the students aware of the field of Cultural Studies and basic theories of it. The topic of Cultural Study is also now included in the NTA NET Examination. Living in the Post Truth era, we cannot believe anything or news without having a surety about it. Mass media plays a vital role in it, creating a particular image about a particular incident or any matter. In this crucial time, whether to believe or not, cultural study helps us in diving deep into the ocean of knowledge to bring out what actual matter is.

Though on the day of the workshop I did not able to attend it, I listen to the lecture shared by ma'am in the group. It was a one day workshop on Cultural Study in which a ma'am taught us basic concepts about cultural studies and how it emerged as a field of study. And also gave basic information about the pioneer of the Cultural Study. Culture Study is an umbrella term or interdisciplinary study which includes various fields of Sociology, Psychology, etc. It studies how or in which way culture relates to the larger society. Ma'am also taught it with reference to the discussion of 'culture and civilization' in literary studies from Mathew Arnold. She gave guidance from Frankfurt School to the various concepts or theories. She also gave guidance on the pioneers of the Cultural field.

Richard Hoggart,

E.P.Thompson,

Raymond Williams,

Staurt Hall and their contribution in the development of Cultural Study.

Here I am going to mention some concepts or theories which I understood by listening to it.

~Hegelian Dialectical Method

~Dialectic of Enlightenment

~Popular Culture

~Culture Industry

~New Left in Britain by E.P.Thompson and ~New Left Review which popularized ~Frankfurt School

~New Left in the US; Student Movements for s Democratic Society(SDS)

~Subculture Studies

~Trauma Studies

~Globalization Studies

~Queer Studies

~Gender performance

~Media and Visual Cultural Studies

~Celebrity Culture Studies

~Michel Foucault's concept of power and Knowledge

~Anti Gramsci's concept of hegemony

It was quite productive a session for us, and also it helped in answering questions in the G-SET examination. I would like to thank Dr.Kalyani ma'am for coming here and provide us knowledge about Cultural Study. I am also thankful to Dilip Barad sir for organizing such a wonderful session for us.