Janice hocker rushing 1983 has argued, for example, that an enduring myth in u. Doing research in cultural studies an introduction to classical and new methodological approaches. A cultural studies approach furnishes a highlevel survey of theoretical engagements, principally outside the ambit of religious studies, to examine the intersections between religion and popular culture. Each of the concepts introduced here is developed at greater length throughout the book and can also be referred to in the glossary. Religious beliefs and practices, and why they change. The approach is interdisciplinary and international.
Religious studies requirements department of comparative. Religion and popular culture 9780195449181, 9780199009237. No courses in other departments are required to complete this major. Works presented in this series move beyond text analysis and use new and groundbreaking theories in anthropology, communication, cultural studies, religious studies, social philosophy, and sociology to explore the interrelation between religion, popular culture. Although i cannot make the full case here, i sketch a preliminary defense of the third approach, in.
For example, if an american anthropologist went to africa to study a nomadic tribe, hisher resulting case study would be from an etic standpoint if heshe did not integrate themselves into the culture they were observing. The role of culture in social development over the. Topics of study in this field include similarities and differences between cultures in terms of norms, values, attitudes, scripts, patterns of behavior, cultural products such as laws, myths, symbols, or material artifacts, social structure, practices and rituals, institutions, and. A cultural studies approach article pdf available in journal of contemporary religion 312. The cultural approach o n both sides of the atlantic, the cultural approach to organizational change becomes highly visible during the 1980s, even in the popular press for example, businessweek, october 27,1980.
Each chapter outlines different theories and explores how key ideologies inform and interact with aspects of popular culture, including television, film, music, and the internet. In particular, research has explored how an individuals religion religious beliefs, religious denomination, strength of religious devotion, etc. The cultural studies approach to understanding religion that forms the analytical and methodological foundation for the religious literacy project assumes the basic elements of the study of religion outlined above and frames them within a postmodern worldview with the following specific characteristics. Stuart hall and the rise of cultural studies the new yorker. This article aims to illustrate the role of culture for individual development throughout the life span. John storey is professor of cultural studies and director of the centre for research in media and cultural studies at the university of sunderland. Historical and cultural studies of religion graduate. Religion and popular culture university of waterloo. Cultural psychology psychology oxford bibliographies. Looking at the intersection of religion and popular culture through a theoretical lens, this new text offers an insightful treatment of this topical area of study. Looking at the intersection of religion and popular culture through a. Focuses on key theorists in both religious studies and popular culture studies to explore the interactions between the two areas.
Key concepts in cultural studies culture and signifying practices cultural studies would not warrant its name without a focus on culture chapter 2. Critical and cultural studies communication oxford. What is the relationship between religion, media and culture. Hundreds of studies have examined how religious beliefs mold an individuals sociology and psychology. A cultural studies approach encourages students to consider the role religion plays in creating and responding to popular culture. The role of culture in social development over the lifespan. Three approaches to the study of religion the immanent frame. All religions are equally meaningful to their adherents. Religious literacy is the ability to recognize and critically reflect upon the intersection of religion and social, political, and cultural contexts.
Religion and popular culture a cultural studies approach by chris klassen and. A distinctive feature of these volumes is the helpful student exercises. Oxford university press, 2014 download download pdf. In cultural studies, hegemony is an important theory in the exploration of how the dominant culture influences other groups, particularly in the construction of. Looking at key issues of culture including race, gender, sexualities, history. Looking at the intersection of religion and popular culture through a theoretical lens, this new text.
It is expected, however, that every student will take at least some of their major coursework outside of comparative studies, as the religious studies major is interdisciplinary and cross. The potential of mindfulness meditation for stressrelated health disparities among african americans. The first step of this project involves submitting your selected artifact and a research question for approval and feedback. The aar guidelines outline support and strategies for teaching about religion in ways that are intellectually rigorous and constitutionally sound. Regardless of the approach es used, however, teaching about religion needs to convey three central premises of academic learning about religion. Cultural psychology is the study of how people shape and are shaped by their cultures. Cultural essentialism is the practice of categorizing groups of people within a culture, or from other cultures, according to essential qualities. With no formal tests, this course relies heavily on ontime attendance and participation, reading and discussion of various cultural and religious texts, as well as writing and creatively considering the various aspects of the interplay between religion, spirituality, pop culture and media.
Chronological and historical in its organization, this wellwritten text traces key currents in cultural studies with a view to its application in the analysis of popular culture. Over the past decade, the national center for complementary and alternative medicine nccam. A phenomenal number of both academic and prescriptive writings on the. Culture, culture, popular culture, cultura, culturele studies, culture, culture, culture populaire, culture publisher. The parameters of cultural studies 5 the centre for contemporary cultural studies 6 disciplining cultural studies 7 key concepts in cultural studies 8 culture and signifying practices 8 representation 8 materialism and nonreductionism 8 articulation 9 power 10 popular culture 10 texts and readers 11 subjectivity and identity 11 the. Designed as a primer for students and useful for interested faculty, klassens religion and popular culture. Opens the discipline of philosophy of religion to the religious diversity that characterizes the world today. Anthropology of religion is the study of religion in relation to other social institutions, and the comparison of religious beliefs and practices across cultures.
In the early 12th century abu rayhan biruni 9731048, wrote detailed comparative studies on the anthropology of religions and cultures across the mediterranean basin. Religion, culture, and communication oxford research. Students develop broad skills in the historical, cultural, socialscientific, comparative, and interdisciplinary study of the worlds sacred and secular traditions, and they gain expertise in a specific. Reflections on the differences between religion and culture richard bonney, ba, ma, phd director, center for the history of religious and political pluralism university of leicester leicester, united kingdom culture may be thought of as a causal agent that affects the evolutionary process by uniquely human means. The role of religions in transnationalism and globalization. Each set presents a full contextualizing introduction by the editor and draws upon articles that map.
A cultural studies approach encourages students to consider the role. An introduction to cultural theory and popular culture. Cultural studies, multiculturalism, and media culture. Cultural fifth edition cult popular theoryand ural. Reflections on the differences between religion and culture. The cultural relevance of mindfulness meditation as a. Religion and popular culture chris klassen oxford university press. Each culture selects some risks for attention and chooses to ignore others. Cultural studies is a field of theoretically, politically, and empirically engaged cultural analysis that concentrates upon the political dynamics of contemporary culture, its historical foundations, defining traits, conflicts, and contingencies. What part religions play in cultural and social transformation. Religion and popular culture a cultural studies approach chris klassen. The minimum number of hours required for completion of the major is 36.
The historical and cultural studies of religion department concentrates on the place of religion, spirituality, and theology in society and everyday life, from ancient times to the present. He has published widely in cultural studies, including seven books. Theologians in dialogue with cultural analysis and criticism the american academy of religion reflection and theory in the study of religion series. Moreover, british cultural studies developed an approach that avoided cutting up the field of culture into high and low, popular vs. An etic view of a culture is the perspective of an outsider looking in. Peoples religious beliefs and practices must be studied within the framework of their own culture and history. Thirty years ago, many academics considered the study of popular culture beneath them. Journal of religion and popular culture u toronto press. Cultural studies researchers generally investigate how cultural practices relate to wider systems of power associated with or operating through. Use the link below to share a fulltext version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Cultural studies and the culture concept article pdf available in cultural studies 294. Religion is an essential element of the human condition.
Numerous theoretical approaches have been used to examine issues of race, gender, and media, but we contend that critical cultural studies represent the most salient contemporary thinking on media and culture. More important, unlike most social and behavioral scientific research. Religion and popular culture a cultural studies approach. Browse the amazon editors picks for the best books of 2019, featuring our favorite. In this post, i briefly set out three distinct approaches to the study of religion. The cultural sciences cover everything from languages, social sciences and law to philosophy and religious studies, in sum, everything that belongs to the culture of a society. You will approach your selected artifact using the analytical tools gathered from the classroom and your readings. How religions contribute to the maintenance of social order. Cultural studies, multiculturalism, and media culture 9. The course is taught over 11 weeks as an exploration of contemporary approaches in the cultural study of religion. First, theoretical approaches how culture affects the ontogenesis is presented, starting from early. In douglas and wildavskys 1982 cultural theory, risk perception is viewed as a collective phenomenon by which members of different cultures selectively attend to different categories of danger. Were proud to have built such a wellrespected list of leading journals, adventurous new launches.
167 1077 629 1012 590 1334 1492 303 309 72 807 589 230 617 627 352 73 484 599 1421 1534 366 865 1277 1254 360 650 1162 933 1012 348 109 1491 708 209 986