Cultural Studies II

level of course unit

first cycle, Bachelor

Learning outcomes of course unit

The students can explain and apply the concepts and approaches of cultural sociology according to Pierre Bourdieu. Secondly, they are familiar with hybridization forms in culture - such as "inter", "multi" and "trans" culture - and can link these with approaches of cultural studies and take up perspectives of gender studies and postcolonialism.
The students acquire the ability to express themselves critically and self-critically and to express ethical obligations with regard to equal treatment and cultural esteem.

prerequisites and co-requisites

not applicable

course contents

Cultural Studies II has two main themes: On the one hand the sociology of culture according to Pierre Bourdieu, and on the other hand forms of hybrid cultures. Cultural Studies II thus focuses on social, intercultural and transcultural issues. The latter is linked with the central approaches of Culture Studies. This forms a basis for the challenges of cultural institutions as democratic and democratizing educational institutions.

The central approaches of cultural sociology according to Pierre Bourdieu are presented for the social contexts. Through his theoretical approaches, the entanglement of cultural symbolism and social action can be described as a set of rules of habitualized values and norms. Bourdieu used the field of art to describe how the taste of the bourgeoisie prevailed in the 19th century. Social and cultural imprints become recognizable as implicit prerequisites of social hierarchies. This often concerns highly cultural institutions, following on from the cultural sector. With the change of perspective on everyday and popular culture as well as the questioning of highly cultural norms, Cultural Studies called for new perspectives in cultural theory with an “interventionalist understanding” (Oliver Marchart): These concern the inclusion of mass media and pop cultural mechanisms as well as the rendering visible of minorities and marginalized groups (race, class, gender). A central concept here is representation, which is a central connection for interculturality and transculturality (hybrid cultures). The basic text on the transculturality of Welsch is linked to the “translational turn” in cultural contexts and explained using examples.