Cultural Studies

Academic Advisors: Michael Eldridge

For a complete description of the requirements for this concentration and relevant courses, see International Studies in the HSU Catalog.

The "Meaningful Project" in Cultural Studies

The Cultural Studies concentration conceives of culture not broadly (as in “all things that humans make or do” or even “the organized customs and practices of a given society”) but more narrowly: fine arts, performing arts, architecture, fashion, film, pop culture, etc. The HSU catalog further specifies that in Cultural Studies, we focus on “the diverse cultural phenomena (musical, literary, filmic, artistic, etc.) that have evolved in the wake of empire and globalization. We study the relationship between culture and imperialism, the forging of new national cultures in the Third World, the emergence of border and diaspora cultures, and the development of other transnational forms that cross-pollinate and circulate across global routes.”

For their meaningful projects, many students in the past have chosen to do a traditional research or analytical paper (15-25 pages in length) on topics ranging from Léopold Senghor and the International Roots of the Négritude Movement to Costa Rican Hip-Hop in the Global Tourist Economy. Other students have been less orthodox. Here are some examples of what they’ve done:

An oral history of efforts by the Palestinian immigrant community in Sicily to maintain cultural traditions and forge new ones in exile
A collection of interviews with Zimbabwean writers
A website for a small-town dance center and dance troupe in Senegal, combined with a study of the town’s “marketing” of its cultural practices to outsiders
A sophisticated Power Point presentation (with photos) aimed at prospective study-abroad students on consumerism and “cultural cross-pollination” among Oaxacan Mixtecas returning from work in the United States

Go here to see additional general guidelines for the Meaningful Project.