Cultural Studies (2)

Major Theories

and Methodologies

1. Main issues 2. Major Theories and Methodologies3. Key Concepts and Subject Positions

Starting Questions

• What is, or are, cultural studies? • How possible conflicts it may have with

literary studies? • What are the controversies re. to

“popular” culture, literary canon, • How do we do close analysis,

symptomatic reading and contextual reading?

Outline

• History of Cultural Studies• Culturalism vs. Structuralism• Structuralism and Semiotics culture as

languages• Marxism power relations relative

autonomy and ideology• Subjectivity• Text/Context, Discourse• Examples: Semiotics + Marxism + Foucault

Cultural Studies: History of Articulation (pp. 44-)

• 50's socialist humanism; (or Marxism) – W. Hoggart (), R. Williams, E. P. Thompson; New Left, commitment to Working Class culture

60's -- Culturalist –culture as a whole way of life, as a process of lived experience.

• 70‘s -- Structuralist marxism; Semiotics; -- e.g. Althusser; Roland Barthes

• mid-70’s – Gramsci & Foucault; -- Derrida +Discourse theories of Foucault;   -- Althusser + Lacan

• mid- 80's -- postmodern debate (postmodernism as US imperialism)

• 90‘s – regional Cultural Studies and issues of Globalization (e.g. that in Taiwan, or inter-Asia Cultural Studies; Empire and biopolitics)

Structuralism vs. Culturalism

• Structuralism e.g. Althusser – pays more attention to social structure and its control than individual resistance;

• Culturalism e.g. Williams and E. P. Thompson -- working class cultures (specific cultures)

• Gramsci (views on hegemony and organic intellectual) as a solution to this debate.

Structuralism: Major principles

0. Langue vs. Parole (p. 9) Language is an arbitrary system of relatio

ns; (no natural connections between signs and meanings.) 約定俗成的關係系統 (p. 7)

2. Meaning is defined by differences between signs (or signifiers 意符 ).

3. Language (Symbolic order for Lacan) does not reflect reality; it structures or constructs “reality.” Different languages different realities (world view and ways of thinking). (pp. 7-9)

Do you have examples to prove these concepts?

Language as System of Meaning: e.g.

• “Uncle” and “Aunt” for Taiwanese and Americans;

• “Patriotism” for Taiwanese, Americans and Palestinians;

• “Marriage” for different generations; • “Killing animals” for some

aborigines and environmentalists.

Sexism in Chinese: 女• 女－－婦人也﹐象形。「象雙手受縛屈

跪之形。」；• 姓﹐從女、生。（先民接從母姓）；• 嫁、娶︰「嫁﹐女適人也」；婚︰古人 以昏時娶親﹐ 婚• 外人、賤內；弄璋、弄瓦；• 妻﹐婦與己齊者；必有幾個女子陪嫁。

嬪、妃、妾、媛、婢、奴。

女— in binaries

• Angel: 女為悅己者容︰嫵、媚、好、姣、嬌、婉、妙、婀娜、娉婷、婆娑

• Whore: 娼、妒（婦妒夫也）﹐妨（害也）、妄（亂也）、佞、婞、婪、嬾（懶）、妓、媿（愧）、奸、婬、姦

• 「唯女人與小子難養也。」• 三從四德、七出 （不顧父母、無子、婬僻、嫉妒、惡疾、多口舌、竊盜）

Structuralism Roland Barthes’ Semiotics: Major principles 1. All the cultural products and activities are

different kinds of languages (read as process or results of signification.) No meaning is inherent or natural. (de Saussure p. 10)

2. Sign: Form ( 物質形式 p. 11) + Concept Signifier + Signified

3. There are more than one level of signification and thus meanings in any language. denotation and connotation. myth (distortion) (Barthes chap 10: 45; chap 11: 11-12)

Sign System: Selection and Combination• All social practices as sign-systems and thus

are open to cultural interpretation (or de-mystification).

e.g. the “langue” of clothes (selection & combination)

System:

a. blouse, shirt, T-shirt

b. skirt, trousers

sentence:

1. blouse + skirt + high heeled shoes X snickers

2. blouse + jeans + snickers X not for concert

Semiotic Interpretation: example 1

• Ferdinand Marcos (pp. 14-15)

• Hand waving –a sign of power

• Imadel—worried and more submissive

A. primary signification: a (empty) signifier ([roz])

+ signified (Flower)=

Different levels of signification: primary signification & secondary signification

sign (full)--denotation

B. Secondary significationSign ( empty)/Form

+

content (Love)= sign --connotation

(distortion or myth)

Levels of Signification: Denotation & Connotation

Denotation: ads –“absolutely classified”Connotation:most wanted-- “absolutely superior”; -- Recognizable anywhere by one with a good taste. Myth: taste for liquor = reco

gnition of the bottle;

e.g. Absolut

“Arriving From the North. There is no purer vodka outlook. Chilled neat at 0.” -- Denotation?

The Vodka bottle travels like air waves.

-- Connotation?

But it does not change its temperature.

-- Myth or Distortion?

It’s effect on our bodies is absolutely guarantee

d.

•

e.g. Absolut

“There is no purer vodka than absolut. Be logical. Drink it Neat at 0.” Denotation?

Connotation?

Vodka as pure logic like that of computer.

Myth or Distortion?

Can we be logical after drin

king?

Marxism• 經濟主義 economism (reflectionis

m) vs. relative autonomy (pp. 19-)• Ideology as false consciousness vs

. I as systems of meanings (providing subject positions)

• ISA (e.g. school, media) and material practice

Subjectivity

• Althusser + Lacan;

1. We are “interpellated” as subjects;

2. Our unconscious is structured like language. We enter the symbolic as “split” speaking subject.

3. Examples: women’s positions 25

Contextualization and Discourse

• The distinctions between text and context, representation and history are blurred—to be defined in different studies differently. – e.g. discourse on movie stars p. 31

Semiotics + Marxism + Foucault

• Q 1: How do we do a semiotic reading of fashion?

Source: 中國時報 穿出好樣東方味 920602

Constructions of femininity: “softness” “delicacy”

1. Silk + embroidery of flowers + curving edges,

2. the 旗 collar3. Chest and Waist lines; loose p

ants

How do we do a semiotic reading?

1. Signs dragon; 2. Differences betwee

n the Oriental ( 夏姿 ) and the “Western” (Armani) use of signs.

How do we do a semiotic reading?• 長期以來仰慕東方文化的米蘭大師 Giorgio Armani ，季季都在 Oriental 的意境裡做變化，無論是珠繡，緞質禮服或者是合身長褲，亞曼尼走來始終如一。

• Armani 是中國式的寬宏大度• Really? Yuppyish +sexiness

How do we do a semiotic reading?

　反觀 Cavalli. . . 完全向刺繡投降，無論是連身長洋裝或短版旗袍，從外套到鞋子到長褲，就算不是真刺繡，也要印上像刺繡的印花才甘心。黃色和寶藍是基本的調性，加上最愛豹紋、切片寶石和正紅色的點綴，當仁不讓得到好萊塢女星最愛。

Context• 西方世界的服裝精神在於，把女人裝飾成一朵胸大腰細的花。 20世紀大師 Christian Dior 的「 New Look 」可視為個中經典。但 80年代以降，來自日本的三傑： Issey Miyake ， Comme des Garcons 和 Yohji Yamamoto 等人以東方沉潛力量征服西方之後，重視寫意的服裝傳統也漸漸糅合於西方服裝之中。

http://lsm.crt.state.la.us/modern.htm

Q 2: How do we do a Marxist reading of Fashion trends?

• re-contextualization. Capitalist production is a process of abstraction and alienation. e.g. Who are making the clothes? Who are producing the “ethnic colors”? Do wearing the Chinese robe makes Chinese culture better understood?

• Paris, New York, Tokyo Taiwan • super models and stars boutiques

department stores street vendors

Prescriptive language in fashion business on all levels

• 以男生來說，東方風格的打扮以細節最為重要。就拿港星成龍來說吧！每回他出席國外重要場合，總是以寬大的袍裝為主，無論是烏干紗或是馬褂，總是帶有一字領，或是梅花扣等細節，如此溫文儒雅的造型，也正好平衡了他給人的武生形象。

• 　若以女生而言，在剪裁上可選擇上寬下窄的和服式線條，多些刺繡花鳥也無妨。在顏色上則可以用比較大膽的色彩，如正黃色，紅色或寶藍色都是首選，港星楊紫瓊可說是最佳代言人。

◎最炫的行頭～中國繡花鞋、斑馬紋背包◎讓自己穿得粉「中國」風◎我是年輕人，我要戴玉鐲子◎三寸金蓮沒有，繡花鞋倒是挺多的！◎中國風，少了配件行頭可不行

Prescriptive language in fashion business

1. http://cityguide.pchome.com.tw/news_play/890922play3.html

Hierarchy in fashion business• 肚兜題詩句，穿出中國風，盤釦、繡花全用上，旗袍領特別多，濃濃中國味濃厚

http://www.cdnnews.com.tw/20030128/news/nxyzh/T90049002003012719505500.htm

Questions 3, 4, 5 . . .

• How do we avoid being the reductionism of Marxism?

• What does it mean to study to discourse of “the Chinese”? (e.g. 龍的傳人，旗袍？） How do we position ourselves in relation to all the dominant discourses?

• Why is the line between text and context, history and representation blurred?

From Marxism to Cultural Studies

• Base and Superstructure Circuit of Culture

1. All the five actions actually happen on each level ;

2. Consumption is not “a tap on the knee

• Bally 公主袖黑白洋裝 4 萬4800 元，金色手提包 3 萬9800 元，高跟鞋 1 萬 5500元。（鄧博仁攝）　 　

2007-12-26 中國時報 / 名人時尚 [E1 版 ]

• 幫老婆買梵克雅寶的千萬珠寶之餘，麥特戴蒙也會替自己買產量稀少的梵克雅寶男錶。

• 至於 2007 的全新版本錶殼直徑為 39 毫米，比原創 PA 49 更大，呼應近年大錶面的風潮，設計有 3 個珍珠母貝的小錶盤，分別顯示動力儲存、第二第時間與日曆小圓盤，不同於多數錶廠將品牌 logo 設計在 12 點鐘位置，梵克雅寶向來將 logo放在 3 點鐘，也是這個頂級珠寶品牌的錶款特色。搭載瑞士積家 JLC939 自動上鏈機芯，錶款售價約新台幣 30 萬元。

2007-12-26 中國時報 / 名人時尚 [E1 版 ]