File spoon-archives/phillitcrit.archive/phillitcrit_1997/phillitcrit.9712, message 212


Date: Tue, 30 Dec 1997 15:57:11 -0500
From: George Trail <gtrail-AT-UH.EDU>
Subject: Re: PLC: Cultural studies (Was Henry Miller...)


>HH et al.,
>
>Forgive my ignorance, but could someone explain to me the respects in which
>cultural studies differs from anthropology or sociology?  Are there
>figures, for example, Levi-Strauss, who preceeded the formation of cultural
>studies but would be considered 'a proto-cultural studies' figure.
>        I have in the back of my mind the historical formation of
>anthropology, which formed originally as a rebel group protesting early
>19th century sociology, which was predominantly if not exclusively
>Hegelian.  The anthropologist took up the banner of empirical science
>against sociology's logicism.  The two disciplines seem to continue to have
>a rather uneasy relationship.
>        Any why on earth would someone in English be the head of a cultural
>studies program (I can *almost* see history).
>
>Ciao,
>Reg



Well in the new (late 19th c.) old days there used to be canons, and when
English went professional and thus into litachure (as opposed to all that
infra dig rhetoric and writing and stuff) which was high culture.

Then when the dispensation of advanced degrees in high culture litachure
became the thing, and a number of other social factors became important, It
was decided by the new guys that litachure didn't have to be high, and that
it was all a plot to marginalize populations which it was now hip to
degree. Hence, among other things, the study of litachure became the study
of the power plots involved in canon formation, and with no distinction
between high and popular that was sustainable, litachure came to include
(gasp) performance and the linguistic alliances brought it up smartly in
line with post-mod theory.

History doesn't lend itself for the most part because it is still populated
by people who believe there _is_ such a thing. Sociology in the pursuit of
grants ad etc, has become the whore of business and stats. Anthro retains
its coherence, but is increasingly marginalized by the theory that it must
eschew.

That's a kind of a start.
g





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