The aim of this reading course is to introduce students to the field of         

'Cultural Studies' and improve their academic English study skills,             

particularly in terms of extensive reading. A further aim will be to            

encourage students to critically analyse and reflect on texts rather            

than simply decode them.                                                        

                                                                                

                                                                                

None.                                                                           

                                                                                

                                                                                

In recent years the significance of culture has become a major concern across   

a wide range of academic fields including science, technology and medicine.     

This course will introduce the main practical and theoretical aspects of the    

so-called turn to culture through the use of a particular case study: that of   

the Sony Walkman. Using the example of the Walkman, this course will explain    

how and why cultural practices and institutions have come to play such an       

important role in the modern world. It will also introduce some of the most     

impoant concepts and methods of analysis involved in doing cultural studies,    

with an emphasis on the kind of cultural studies that has developed in          

Britain. This has been a major influence in the humanities and social           

sciences, radically redefining the study of popular culture, the media and      

everyday life. Central ideas that have influenced British cultural studies      

include semiotics, Marxism, literary theory, discourse theory and               

postmodernism. This course seeks to develop students' understanding of the      

history, key thinkers and themes of this discipline through a combination of    

extsive and intensive readings, writing assignments and group discussions.      

Academic English study skills will be addressed by the learning and practice    

of various techniques including extensive reading for gist, précis         

writing and critique.                                                           

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

Students will be evaluated according to their rate of attendance, degree of     

active participation and one final written exam.                                

                                                                                

None. Reading materials and associated worksheets to be provided by the         

instructor.                                                                     

                                                                                

None. However, students may find it beneficial to use an English-English        

learners' dictionary, either in printed or electronic form.                     

                                                                                

                                                                                

This course will be of particular interest to students who wish to study modern 

culture from a theoretically-informed perspective.