Cultural Studies
In his essay entitled “Cultural Studies” Jean Franco attempts to establish some kind of ideological boundaries, albeit a very loose set of boundaries, for what cultural studies has consisted of historically, as well as what it has become in a more contemporary sense; especially in the context of how it fits into the university as a scholarly discipline. In order to attempt a somewhat comprehensive discussion of what cultural studies is, Franco dedicates a good deal of his discussion to considering the distinction between cultural studies as it has appeared in Britain, the United States, and Latin America. I found his discussion of cultural studies in the United States particularly interesting because of the complexities inherent in it as a subject of study in a country with such a mixed population. As opposed to the, largely, homogeneous collective identity in other regions of the world, the United States is made up of individuals. Hence, a strict definition of cultural studies would be difficult. Franco also mentions the influence that results from “migration and cultural hybridity” and the increase of globalization. He explains, “All aspects of cultural life are undergoing rapid change. Technology allows for the distant consumption of serially produced goods, and these agents of cultural production and dissemination have changed from states to financial institutions, cultural foundations and chains of art galleries related to finance capital or high-tech industries.”
It is also interesting to note, in terms of trying to formulate a set boundary for what cultural studies is, that “there is considerable tension among national, regional, and international forms of cultural studies that is as yet unresolved.” Hence, cultural studies has a tendency toward being quite political in nature. The notion of cultural studies being a fundamentally political field is something that I had never really considered. Thinking about it after reading Jean Franco’s essay, however, it makes a good deal of sense. This, then is another component of the difficulty in grounding cultural studies in some scholarly discipline. The political nature that surrounds it is bound to complicate any ideology that comes out of it.
Franco concludes, at the end of the essay, that it “by no mean exhausts the subject of cultural studies or recognizes all its practitioners.” However, I think that the essay does succeed in opening up the conversation for where cultural studies is presently, particularly with regards to how it has begun to get incorporated into the university. Toby Miller is likely on to something significant when he contends that cultural studies is “a tendency across disciplines, rather than a discipline itself.” In terms of relating this discussion to concerns of scholarly research, it is helpful to think about cultural studies in this manner. Basically, it is meaningful to incorporate elements of cultural studies in as many aspects of our scholarly endeavors as possible. Not to see it as a solitary idea that exists in isolation, but to view it as a very real thing that can exist in many aspects of our educational experience.
