Cultural Studies: A Practical Introduction

Culture is the software of our lives: it is the program we live by and the rules that determine how we think and act. Yet these rules are dynamic, changing as we speak, write, and create – changing as we live. This innovative text provides a comprehensive introduction to Cultural Studies, from cyberculture and digital media to fashion and the new formulations of gender identity. The perfect companion volume to Ryan′s Cultural Studies: An Anthology , this hands–on guide introduces students to the diverse fields that comprise Cultural Studies, from visual culture to popular music and new media. With an emphasis on student exercises and activities, Ryan teaches cultural analysis through practical examples and applications. More than just a summary of the major ideas in the field, this wide–ranging introduction gives students of many disciplines the tools to become practitioners of Cultural Studies and active cultural analysts.

Preface. Acknowledgments. 1. Policy and Industry. 2. Place, Space, and Geography. 3. Gender and Sexuality. 4. Ideologies. 5. Rhetoric. 6. Ethnicity. 7. Identity, Lifestyle, and Subculture. 8. Consumer Culture and Fashion Studies. 9. Music. 10. Media Studies. 11. Visual Culture. 12. Audience, Performance, and Celebrity. 13. Bodies and Things. 14. Transnationality, Globalization, and Postcoloniality. Index.

Michael Ryan is Professor of Film and Media Arts at Temple University. His books include An Introduction to Film Analysis , Marxism and Deconstruction, Politics and Culture , Camera Politica , Cultural Studies; An Anthology , and Literary Theory: A Practical Introduction.