Cultural Theory in a Global Age

Examines the need to think beyond established frameworks, including the national-cultural paradigm, for apprehending literature, cinema, and other forms of cultural production in a global age. We will read and discuss theories that respond to and engage with the increased flow of ideas, bodies, and texts in an era characterized by globalization, migration, and neoliberal capitalism. We will also analyze literary texts, films, and cultural movements that emerge from and address the geopolitical transformations and challenges of the present. Students are expected to address topics comparatively across different languages, as appropriate for their level of linguistic proficiency. The range of connections between language and cultural expression and understanding is a central topic of the course.