Concentration: Theoretical Constructs

Courses in this concentration inquire into the history and dynamics of the aesthetic categories that shape interpretation, consider the relation of experience (literary, aesthetic, social, pedagogical, or other) to conceptual explanation, and examine the relation of such concepts to history. They invite students to consider the differences and interfaces among interpretive frameworks and strategies, to inquire about the tensions and dislocations in texts, or to probe the social relations that inform reading, writing, and teaching. Some courses focus broadly and comparatively; others address particular problems, traditions, and theories, or investigate emerging approaches.

Faculty researching and teaching in this concentration:

Examples of courses taught in this concentration:  

• Cultural Theory (By Way of “Cultural Studies”)
• Ghosts of Theory - Teletechnics and Memory Regimes
• Testing the Limits: Emotion and Aesthetics