Cultural Studies, Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies

CULT 100 (3) Media and Popular Cultures in Global Context

Introduction to media and cultural studies in a global context, specifically the critical analysis of cultural texts, cultural industries, and media audiences. [3-0-0]

CULT 101 (3) Cultural Studies Practices

Key concepts and methods across the history of cultural studies including analysis of consumer society, identity, space, and memory. [3-0-0]

CULT 201 (3) Reading Popular Culture

Introduction to the critical analysis of contemporary popular culture forms such as architecture, video games, television, and popular fiction and cultural practices such as consumerism, participation in subcultures and social networking, from within the context of modernity. Credit will be granted for only one of CULT 201 or ENGL 232. [3-0-0]

Prerequisite: 3 credits of first-year CULT and 3 credits of first-year ENGL.

Equivalency: ENGL 232.

CULT 205 (3) Introduction to Contemporary Japan Through Pop Culture

Contemporary Japanese society through topics in popular culture, such as gender performativity, forms of play, manga, anime and film. In English. Credit will be granted for only one of CULT 205 or JPST 215. [3-0-0]

Prerequisite: 3 credits of first-year ENGL.

Equivalency: JPST 215.

CULT 210 (3) Reading Screens

Introduction to film and other screen-based media as narrative, with a focus on both formal and ideological elements. Credit will be granted for only one of CULT 210 or ENGL 215. [3-0-3]

Prerequisite: 3 credits of first-year CULT and 3 credits of first-year ENGL.

Equivalency: ENGL 215.

CULT 215 (3) Cultural Industries

An introductory critical study of cultural industries such as television and popular music. [3-0-0]

Prerequisite: Second-year standing.

CULT 220 (3) Research with Media in the Humanities

Working in the context of fine arts and humanities research, students develop methods for multimedia research. No digital humanities or computing experience required. At least 35% of class time involves instruction in humanities criticism, prototyping, writing, and research. Credit will be granted for only one of CULT220 and DIHU 220.

Prerequisite: 3 credits of 100-level CULT, DIHU, ENGL, or FILM 100

Equivalency: DIHU 220.

CULT 230 (3) Foundations: Reading Across Borders

Critical intercultural reading approaches, focusing on literature and film from the global South. Emphasis upon ideas of culture, difference, and the relations between reader and text. At least 35% of class time involves practice-based instruction in critical analysis, essay writing and research. Credit will be granted for only one of CULT 230 or ENGL 224.

Prerequisite: 3 credits of first-year CULT and 3 credits of first-year ENGL.

Equivalency: ENGL 224.

CULT 250 (3) Foundations: Indigenous Literature

Survey of Indigenous-authored poetry, drama, fiction, non-fiction prose, and orature in North America, with attention to Indigenous methodologies and major critical trends. At least 35% of class time involves practice-based instruction in critical analysis, essay writing and research. Credit will be granted for only one of ENGL 234 or CULT 250. [3-0-0]

Prerequisite: 3 credits of first-year CULT and 3 credits of first-year ENGL.

Equivalency: ENGL 234.

CULT 272 (3) Feminism and Environment

Examines contributions of feminist theories and practice to understanding and addressing environmental change. Foregrounds the role of decolonial, anti-racist, disability justice and queer feminist perspectives in environmental justice, policy, art, and activism. Credit will be granted for only one of CULT 272 or GWST 272. [3-0-0]

Prerequisite: 3 credits of first-year CULT or SUST 104.

Equivalency: GWST 272.

CULT 275 (3) Foundations: Interdisciplinary Theory and Method in Literary Research

Study of the major trends in critical theory. Attention will be given to applications of theory in literary research. Credit will be granted for only one of CULT 275 or ENGL 250. [3-0-0]

Prerequisite: 3 credits of first-year CULT and 3 credits of first-year ENGL.

Equivalency: ENGL 250.

CULT 300 (3) Documentary and Docudrama

Investigation of reality effect of film by tracing its origins in the dramatic genres of melodrama, realism, and naturalism into filmic genres of documentary and docudrama. Surveys modern and postmodern examples of these genres. Credit will be granted for only one of CULT 300 or ENGL 378. [3-0-3]

Prerequisite: Third-year standing. CULT 210, CULT 215 or CULT 220 recommended.

Equivalency: ENGL 378.

CULT 301 (3-9) d Media Studies and Popular Cultures: Areas and Themes

Examination of selected themes related to media studies and popular cultures. With different topics, this course can be taken more than once for credit. Topics vary from year to year.

Prerequisite: Third-year standing.

CULT 303 (3) Narrative Film Production

The theory and practice of producing a short narrative motion picture for the purpose of developing narrative film literacy. Credit will be granted for only one of CULT 303, CULT 316, FILM 303, or THTR 303. VISA 106, VISA 261, VISA 271, CULT 210, THTR 103, CRWR 250, or FILM 100 recommended.

Prerequisite: One of VISA 106, VISA 261, FILM 261 and third-year standing or permission of the instructor.

Equivalency: FILM 303;THTR 303.

CULT 305 (3) English-Canadian Screen Culture

Development of English-Canadian screen culture studied by concentrating on various movements, the political economy of Anglo-Canadian screen culture, and televisual and cinematic forms and genres. Focus of the survey is on identity, nationhood, and representation. Credit will be granted for only one of CULT 305 or ENGL 377. [3-0-3]

Prerequisite: Third-year standing. CULT 210, CULT 215, or CULT 220 recommended.

Equivalency: ENGL 377.

CULT 308 (3-9) Digital Humanities: Areas and Themes

Topics vary from year to year. With different topics this course may be taken more than once for credit. Credit will be granted for only one of CULT 308 and DIHU 308 when the subject matter is of the same nature.

Prerequisite: 3 credits of 100-level DIHU, CULT, ENGL or FILM 100, and third-year standing; or permission of the instructor.

Equivalency: DIHU 308.

CULT 309 (3) Performance Art: Global Perspectives

History, theory, and practice of performance art as a visual medium, a global language, and a political force. Explores a wide range of experimental and interdisciplinary performance art practices, including key contributions by Indigenous artists. Credit will be granted for only one of CULT 309, ARTH 309, THTR 309, or WRLD 309.

Prerequisite: Third-year standing.

Equivalency: ARTH 309, THTR 309, WRLD 309.

CULT 312 (3-9) Internet Culture

A critical study of the cultural influence of the Internet on everyday life. With different topics, this course may be taken more than once for credit. No more than 9 credits in total will be granted for CULT 312, DIHU 312, or any combination thereof. Credit will be granted for only one of CULT 312 and DIHU 312 when the subject matter is of the same nature.

Prerequisite: Third-year standing.

Equivalency: DIHU 312.

CULT 313 (3/9) d Topics in Transnational Asian Pop Culture

A critical study of Asian pop culture's transnational flows in and beyond Asia. With different topics, this course may be taken more than once for credit.

Prerequisite: Third-year standing. CULT 210, CULT 215, OR CULT 220.

CULT 315 (3) Television Studies

The medium of television from a global perspective, and the investigation of how genres in different television broadcast regimes shape content and reception. Credit will be granted for only one of CULT 315 or DIHU 315.. [3-2-0]

Prerequisite: Third-year standing. CULT 201, CULT 215, or CULT 220 recommended.

Equivalency: DIHU 315.

CULT 317 (3) Digital Documentary Production

Theory and practice from the point of view of producer/writer/director. Course culminates in the creation of a short-form documentary. Credit will be granted for only one of CULT 317 or FILM 371. [2-2-0]

Prerequisite: One of VISA 106, VISA 261, FILM 261 and third-year standing or permission of the instructor.

Equivalency: FILM 371.

CULT 320 (3) Creative Activism: Art, Media, and Social Justice

Examination of the convergence between social justice movements, activist media, and artistic practice. Credit will be granted for only one of CULT 320 or ARTH 323.

Prerequisite: 3 credits of 200 level CULT. ARTH 101, ARTH 102 or CULT 100, CULT 101 recommended.

Equivalency: ARTH 323.

CULT 325 (3) Media and the Politics of Identity

Examination of how cultural texts, including visual art, performance, literature, film, television, and social media, constitute modes of subjectivity and identity in modern Western contexts. [3-0-0]

Prerequisite: 3 credits of 200 level CULT. CULT 100/101 recommended.

CULT 340 (3) Colonialism and Decolonization

Comparative analysis of the cultural project of European colonialism, including colonial discourse, resistance, and decolonization in Africa, the Caribbean, South and Southeast Asia, and North America. Credit will be granted for only one of CULT 340 or ENGL 379. CULT 230, CULT 250, or CULT 275 recommended.

Prerequisite: 3 credits of CULT and third-year standing. CULT 230 or 250 recommended.

Equivalency: ENGL 379.

CULT 346 (3) Human Rights, Literature, and Culture

Critical analysis of representational practices within humanitarian and human rights discourses, including literature, life writing, film, journalism, and marketing. Credit will be granted for only one of CULT 346 or ENGL 384. CULT 230, CULT 250, or CULT 275 recommended.

Prerequisite: 3 credits of CULT and third-year standing.

Equivalency: ENGL 384.

CULT 350 (3) Indigenous Literature: Intellectual Traditions

Approaches to Indigenous literary and cultural studies in North America. Consideration will be given to a range of literary movements, intellectual traditions, and critical approaches. Credit will be granted for only one of ENGL 387 or CULT 350.

Prerequisite: 3 credits of 200-level CULT. CULT 250 or ENGL 234 is recommended.

Equivalency: ENGL 387.

CULT 351 (3) Settler Studies, Literature, and Culture

Approaches to the interdisciplinary field of settler colonial studies in Canadian and comparative contexts in relation to literature, film, and other forms of cultural production. Examines the role of representation, narrative, and discourse in settlement, colonization, and decolonization. Credit will be granted for only one of ENGL 385 or CULT 351.

Prerequisite: 3 credits of 200-level CULT. CULT 250 or ENGL 234 is recommended.

Equivalency: ENGL 385.

CULT 360 (3) Public Memory, Commemoration, and Identity

Critical examination of commemoration practices, including museums, monuments, and heritage sites, specifically in terms of the construction of place, community, and identity. Credit will be granted for only one of CULT 360 or CORH 360.

Prerequisite: Third-year standing. CULT 215, CULT 230, CULT 250, or CULT 275 recommended.

Equivalency: CORH 360.

CULT 362 (3-6) d Advanced Practice in Photography

Advanced studio course in digital- and film-based photography. Emphasis on photography as an artistic tool. This course may be taken twice for a maximum of 6 credits. Students in the Major/Combined Major/Minor in CULT can apply/no more than 6 credits in total of CULT 310, VISA 362, or any combination thereof to their degree.

Prerequisite: All of VISA 244, VISA 256. Or permission of the instructor. Note: for VISA 244, CULT students require permission of instructor.

Equivalency: VISA 362.

CULT 370 (3) Writing the Self: Theory and Practice

Life writing with a focus on gender. Critical analysis and the production of narrative in such genres as memoir, autotheory, autoethnography, and critical poetics. Credit will be granted for only one of CULT 370 or GWST 340.

Prerequisite: 3 Credits of 100 or 200-level CULT and third-year standing.

Equivalency: GWST 340.

CULT 371 (3/6) d Modern Critical Theory and Interdisciplinary Methods

Advanced survey of major trends within critical theory, with attention to issues such as subjectivity and power, the body, culture and imperialism, and social discourse. No more than 6 credits in total will be granted for CULT 371, ENGL 309 or any combination thereof. [3-0-0]

Prerequisite: 3 credits of 200-level CULT or 200-level ENGL. One of CULT 270, CULT 275 recommended.

Equivalency: ENGL 309.

CULT 375 (3) Auto/Biography Survey

Histories and genres of auto/biography. Credit will be granted for only one of CULT 375 or ENGL 342.

Prerequisite: 3 credits of 200-level CULT. One of CULT 270, CULT 275 recommended.

Equivalency: ENGL 342.

CULT 382 (3-6) d Advanced Practice in Media Arts

Advanced interdisciplinary course addressing the importance of technology-based approaches in contemporary art, with emphasis placed upon the formation of an idea and the media most appropriate to its expression. Students in the Major/Combined Major/Minor in CULT can apply/no more than 6 credits in total of CULT 382, VISA 382, or any combination thereof to their degree.

Prerequisite: One of VISA 206, VISA 266, VISA 268, VISA 269, VISA 271 or permission of the instructor.

Equivalency: VISA 382.

CULT 384 (3) Spoken Word

Advanced workshop in writing and performing Spoken Word texts. Credit will be granted for only one of CULT 384, CULT 308, CRWR 384 or THTR 384. [0-3-0]

Prerequisite: 6 credits of Creative Writing and/or Theatre. Third-year standing.

Equivalency: THTR 384, CRWR 384.

CULT 390 (3-9) d Identities and Power: Areas and Themes

Examination of selected themes related to identities and power. With different topics, this course can be taken more than once for credit. Topics vary from year to year.

Prerequisite: Third-year standing.

CULT 400 (3/9) d Topics in Popular Culture

Focus on media such as music, film, music video, television, advertising, and the Internet. No more than 9 credits in total will be granted for CULT 400, ENGL 493, or any combination thereof. [3-0-0]

Prerequisite: 3 credits of 200-level CULT. CULT 210, CULT 211, and/or CULT 270 recommended.

Equivalency: ENGL 493.

CULT 401 (3/9) d Topics in Media Studies

In-depth study of contemporary media phenomena and practices. With different topics, this course may be taken more than once for credit.

Prerequisite: 3 credits of 200 level CULT.

CULT 405 (3) Reading Gothic Film

The gothic/horror film as a genre that provides insight into cultural narratives regarding gender, sexuality, race, and class. Films may be approached from a number of critical perspectives, including psychoanalytic, feminist, and cultural theories. Credit will be granted for only one of CULT 405 or ENGL 455. [3-0-3]

Prerequisite: 3 credits of 200-level CULT; CULT 210, CULT 215, and/or CULT 270 recommended.

Equivalency: ENGL 455.

CULT 409 (3-9) Topics in Digital Humanities

Study of a particular topic in digital humanities. With different topics this course may be taken more than once for credit. Credit will be granted for only one of CULT 409, DIHU 409 and ENGL 409 when the subject matter is of the same nature.

Prerequisite: 3 credits of 100-level CULT, DIHU, ENGL, or FILM 100, and third-year standing.

Equivalency: DIHU 409, ENGL 409.

CULT 410 (3/9) d Asian Cinema

Specific Asian directors, genres, and/or cross-regional topics in film studies. In English. [3-0-3]

Prerequisite: 3 credits of 200 level CULT.

CULT 411 (3) Performance Studies

Seminar in the interdisciplinary field of performance studies, broadly conceived as the investigation of aesthetic, ritual, and everyday life performance practices. Credit will be granted for only one of CULT 411, THTR 411, or WRLD 411. [3-0-0]

Prerequisite: Third-year standing.

Equivalency: THTR 411, WRLD 411.

CULT 437 (3-9) d Postcolonial Studies

Examines colonialism, decolonization, and globalization, as they relate to literature and other modes of cultural production, using a cross-cultural framework. Topics vary from year to year. With different topics this course may be taken more than once for credit. No more than 9 credits in total will be granted for CULT 437, ENGL 437, or any combination thereof. [3-0-0]

Prerequisite: 3 credits of CULT and third-year standing. CULT 230 is recommended.

Equivalency: ENGL 437.

CULT 450 (3) Studies in Indigenous Literature and Criticism

Topics in Indigenous literature and criticism in North America, including particular periods and individual authors. Credit will be granted for only one of ENGL 473 or CULT 450. [3-0-0]

Prerequisite: 3 credits of 200-level CULT. CULT 250 recommended.

Equivalency: ENGL 473.

CULT 460 (3) Posthumanism and Critical Animal Studies

Contemporary theories in the field of critical animal studies via ecofeminism, literary studies, philosophy and history with the aim of considering the interconnectedness of speciesism, racism and sexism. Particular attention will be paid to ecofeminism and the "ethics of care" in regards to the treatment of animals. Credit will be granted for only one of CULT 460 or ENGL 457. [3-0-0]

Prerequisite: Third-year standing.

Equivalency: ENGL 457.

CULT 470 (3/9) d Interdisciplinary Studies in Critical Theory

Advanced study of a particular area within critical theory. Topics may include queer theory, critical animal studies, ethics, post-humanism, and nationalism. No more than 9 credits in total will be granted for CULT 470, ENGL 412 or any combination thereof. [3-0-0]

Prerequisite: 3 credits of 200-level CULT. One of CULT 270, CULT 275 recommended.

Equivalency: ENGL 412.

CULT 475 (3) Topics in Auto/Biography

Study of a particular topic in or genre of auto/biographical discourse. Credit will be granted for only one of CULT 475 or ENGL 456. [3-0-0]

Prerequisite: 3 credits of 200-level CULT. CULT 375 is recommended.

Equivalency: ENGL 456.

CULT 485 (3) Masculinities, Media, and Performance

Examination of the social construction of masculinities through the lens of queer and feminist theory. [3-0-0]

Prerequisite: Third-year standing and CULT 100 or permission of the instructor.

CULT 490 (3/9) d Topics in Identities and Power

Advanced study of an area of identities and power. With different topics this course may be taken more than once for credit. [3-0-0]

Prerequisite: 3 credits of 200-level CULT

CULT 491 (3) Black Intellectual Traditions

Intellectual influences on, and responses to, Black experiences in our modern world. Credit will be granted for only one of CULT 491 or ENGL 491.

Prerequisite: Third-year standing.

Equivalency: ENGL 491.

CULT 495 (3/9) c Directed Studies

Major research paper required.

Prerequisite: Third-year standing and declared CULT major.

CULT 499 (3) Community-Engaged Research in Cultural Studies

Develops professional skills in research, collaboration, and communication. Students work in collaborative teams to complete projects that support the work of community partners. Projects vary from year to year. Students must arrange own transportation to/from Kelowna-area required off-campus meetings. 65 contact hours of class and community partner interaction.

Prerequisite: Third-year standing; students must complete an application; permission granted by the Cultural Studies program. Preference will be given to students enrolled as Major, Combined Major, or Minor in CULT.