British Cultural Studies

This is a comprehensive introduction to the British tradition of cultural studies. Graeme Turner offers an accessible overview of the central themes that have informed British cultural studies: language, semiotics, Marxism and ideology, individualism, subjectivity and discourse. Beginning with a history of cultural studies, Turner discusses the work of such pioneers as Raymond Williams, Richard Hoggart, E.P. Thompson, Stuart Hall and the Birmingham Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies. He then explores the central theorists and categories of British cultural studies: texts and contexts; audience; everyday life; ideology; politics, gender and race. The third edition of this text has been fully revised and updated to include: applying the principles of cultural studies and how to read a text; an overview of recent ethnographic studies; a discussion of anthropological theories of consumption; questions of identity and new ethnicities; how to do cultural studies, and an evaluation of recent research methodologies; and a fully updated and comprehensive bibliography.

"'With his customary intelligence, Graeme Turner has transformed a diverse and complex field into a coherent body of knowledge that can be digested by students. This is the clearest, most comprehensive guide to the subject I know.'- Toby Miller.""Original in both senses of the word, British Cultural Studies was the first and remains the best book of its kind. The latest edition responds to changes in both academic and activist cultural studies. Turner is alert to the needs of students, and judiciously appraises the work of many leading writers. He also raises new questions -- about citizenship and consumerism, identity and politics, quality and method -- that point the way forward for the field as a whole. John Hartley, Editor of the International Journal of Cultural Studies.""The first, and still the best, introduction to British cultural studies. It is essential reading for all undergraduates in the field." - Professor John Storey, Director of the Centre for Research in Media and Cultural Studies, University of Sunderland.."