LFU:online

Students receive an overview over cultural theories and their historical genesis. They become familiar with analytical categories and form an awareness of problems and challenges within cultural theory.

Starting from a broad concept of culture as such, different approaches of cultural analysis will be presented and located in the history of ideas. Focal points are the representatives of a variety of theoretical positions, their terminology, key hypotheses and their reception in different disciplines.

When discussing different theoretical concepts of cultural analysis, we will investigate how applicable they are in cultural and social anthropology by studying a number of examples. These Case studies will make the complex interdisciplinary field of cultural theory accessible for students.

Lecture, presentations of key texts, group discussions

Written exam

Ansgar Nünning/Vera Nünning: Konzepte der Kulturwissenschaften. Stuttgart, Weimar 2003.

Stephan Moebius, Dirk Quadflieg: Kultur. Theorien der Gegenwart. Wiesbaden 2006.

This module is open for alle BA students of Comparative Literature and European Ethnology, however, it is not recommended for students in their first semester.