This course begins by tracing how the concept of culture emerged with the advent of modernity. By the nineteenth century, the dichotomy between culture and nature had entered the socio-political debate. With globalization, the concept of cultures, in the plural form, has become a source of diversity necessary for a connected world. Students will develop a critical sense of the use and abuse of the notion of culture, which is hard to define, yet the concept remains in wide use today. The course will examine several perspectives on the meaning of culture in different fields of knowledge. Themes include objects of culture, the limits of culture, evolutionary perspectives and culture, the distinction between culture and cultural interpretations, nature and culture, the essentialism debate in culture, and the relationship between culture and civilization. Foundations in Critical Studies introduces critical thinking skills essential to college-level work in the humanities and sciences. Students develop their critical capacities through close reading and active response to cultural texts and phenomena drawn from multiple disciplines and reflecting diverse perspectives on major themes or topics in contemporary life.

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