The Aesthetics of Cultural Studies: An Introduction by Michael B?rub? (English)

Publisher Description

The subject of the aesthetic has returned to cultural and literary debates with a vengeance. The Aesthetics of Cultural Studies is a timely and authoritative collection of essays that analyze the role of aesthetics in American and British cultural studies, and reflect on its recuperation in the field.

Contains first-rate, original essays that analyze the role of aesthetics in American and British cultural studies, and reflect on its recuperation in the field.
Contributors are leading scholars, internationally based.
Includes substantial introductory material by the editor.

Back Cover

The subject of the aesthetic has returned to cultural and literary debates with a vengeance. The Aesthetics of Cultural Studies is a timely and authoritative collection of essays that analyze the role of aesthetics in American and British cultural studies, and reflect on its recuperation in the field. An international group of leading scholars write eloquently and convincingly about aesthetics in terms of subcultural analysis, the question of judgment in contemporary popular culture, the history of US and UK cultural studies, and the current state of the field.

A substantial editorial introduction opens the volume to help orient the reader to specific contributions and major debates. This is a must-have book for students of cultural studies, media, and communications.

Flap

The subject of the aesthetic has returned to cultural and literary debates with a vengeance. The Aesthetics of Cultural Studies is a timely and authoritative collection of essays that analyze the role of aesthetics in American and British cultural studies, and reflect on its recuperation in the field. An international group of leading scholars write eloquently and convincingly about aesthetics in terms of subcultural analysis, the question of judgment in contemporary popular culture, the history of US and UK cultural studies, and the current state of the field. A substantial editorial introduction opens the volume to help orient the reader to specific contributions and major debates. This is a must-have book for students of cultural studies, media, and communications.

Author Biography

Michael Bérubé is the Paterno Family Professor in Literature at Pennsylvania State University. He is the author of Marginal Forces/Cultural Centers: Tolson, Pynchon, and the Politics of the Canon (1992); Public Access: Literary Theory and American Cultural Politics (1994); Life As We Know It: A Father, A Family, and an Exceptional Child (1996); and The Employment of English: Theory, Jobs, and the Future of Literary Studies (1998).

Table of Contents

Notes on Contributors. Introduction: Engaging the Aesthetic (Michael Berube). 1 The Role of Aesthetics in Cultural Studies (Rita Felski). 2 On Literature in Cultural Studies (John Frow). 3 Excessive Practices: Aesthetics, Erotica, and Cultural Studies (Jane Juffer). 4 The Burden of Culture (Jonathan Sterne). 5 Cultural Studies and the Questions of Pleasure and Value (David Shumway). 6 "I Give It a 94. It's Got a Good Beat and You Can Dance to It": Valuing Popular Music (David Sanjek). 7 Cultural Studies and the New Belletrism (Barry Faulk). 8 Beauty on My Mind: Reading Literature in an Age of Cultural Studies (Irene Kacandes). 9 Inventing Culture (Behind the Garage Door) (Steven Rubio). 10 The Cringe Factor (Laura Kipnis). Index.

Review

"This book is a refreshing reminder that cultural studies of pleasure can (and should) be pleasurable. Interesting questions, engaging voices, rueful disagreements, startling juxtapositions of topic and concept. A book to make you laugh while thinking and think while laughing. What more could anyone want?"
-Simon Frith, University of Stirling

"These essays are both timely and hard-hitting. The Aesthetics of Cultural Studies shows how crucial the provocation of cultural studies has been and remains for aesthetic thought. No grown-up or wide-awake account of the place and possibilities of the aesthetic can afford to ignore the arguments convened here."
--Steven Connor, Birkbeck College

Long Description

The subject of the aesthetic has returned to cultural and literary debates with a vengeance. The Aesthetics of Cultural Studies is a timely and authoritative collection of essays that analyze the role of aesthetics in American and British cultural studies, and reflect on its recuperation in the field. An international group of leading scholars write eloquently and convincingly about aesthetics in terms of subcultural analysis, the question of judgment in contemporary popular culture, the history of US and UK cultural studies, and the current state of the field. A substantial editorial introduction opens the volume to help orient the reader to specific contributions and major debates. This is a must-have book for students of cultural studies, media, and communications.

Review Text

"This book is a refreshing reminder that cultural studies of pleasure can (and should) be pleasurable. Interesting questions, engaging voices, rueful disagreements, startling juxtapositions of topic and concept. A book to make you laugh while thinking and think while laughing. What more could anyone want?"
-Simon Frith, University of Stirling

"These essays are both timely and hard-hitting. The Aesthetics of Cultural Studies shows how crucial the provocation of cultural studies has been and remains for aesthetic thought. No grown-up or wide-awake account of the place and possibilities of the aesthetic can afford to ignore the arguments convened here."
--Steven Connor, Birkbeck College

Review Quote

& "This book is a refreshing reminder that cultural studies of pleasure can (and should) be pleasurable. Interesting questions, engaging voices, rueful disagreements, startling juxtapositions of topic and concept. A book to make you laugh while thinking and think while laughing. What more could anyone want? & "Simon Frith, University of Stirling& "These essays are both timely and hard-hitting. The Aesthetics of Cultural Studies shows how crucial the provocation of cultural studies has been and remains for aesthetic thought. No grown-up or wide-awake account of the place and possibilities of the aesthetic can afford to ignore the arguments convened here. & "Steven Connor, Birkbeck College

Feature

Contains first-rate, original essays that analyze the role of aesthetics in American and British cultural studies

Edited by Michael Bérubé, internationally recognised as a major figure in cultural studies
Discusses the return of the aesthetic to cultural and literary debates, reflecting on its recuperation in the field
Explores aesthetics in terms of subcultural analysis, the question of judgment in contemporary popular culture, the history of UK and US cultural studies, and the current state of the field
Contributors are leading scholars, internationally based
Includes substantial introductory material by the editor, which helps orient the reader to specific contributions and major debates.

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