Critical Cultural Studies

Overview

Critical Cultural research emphasizes critical inquiry into the broadly defined ways that cultural discourses, practices, and performances contribute to, resist, and transform relations of power in society, particularly as related to communication-based problems of class, race, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, national identity, (dis)ability, environment, and globalization. 

The Critical Cultural Studies program at University of Utah focuses on fostering a more equitable and democratic public sphere as a way to promote social justice. Our critical cultural faculty conduct  their inquiry into a variety of forms communication, including rhetorical, mediated, and interpersonal. 

Some of our recent projects include analysis of the political economy of the dark web, Korean war memory, performance of childbearing identities in families, mediated portrayals of African American and Asian Americans, political and cultural underpinnings of obesity, tactics of activism in the U.S. and China, postcolonial memory, and environmental justice.

Graduate Workshops

A regular slate of graduate workshops is offered each year to all graduate students to ensure their socialization, professionalization, intellectual development, and success navigating the program and the discipline. Workshop topics include but are not limited to writing; conference submission and presentation; publishing; grantwriting; “Brown Bag” sessions with individual faculty; and navigating various stages of the job market