CULTST 1001 - Approaches to Culture

The contemporary humanities and social sciences are the product of a ‘cultural turn’: away from dry, functionalist theories of society and towards an appreciation of culture as the medium in which meanings are made and shared, and identities are formed. This course will introduce students to a number of ways to understand culture, and equip them with a variety of tools for analysing the cultures of everyday life. The course content includes topics such as fashion, taste, race, gender, online (sub)cultures, and the environment. It includes Indigenous perspectives on the relationship between nature and culture and addresses contemporary debates about identity. Approaches to Culture will introduce first year students to several of the major thinkers in the Humanities and Social Sciences, whose influence continues to be felt across the disciplines. The course is also the entry point for the Cultural Studies major.