04:192:200 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Frankfurt School, Critical Theory, Cultural Studies

• School: Rutgers University
• Department: Communication
• Course: 04:192:200
• Professor: C R A I G Scott

Document Summary

Substantial societal/cultural imbalance exist that result in oppression and pain. Theory should critique as a way to facilitate awareness, reform, and change. Goal is not just to represent the social world as it exists currently. Saw the external world as humanly created, then reified and seen as objective. Objectification and reification serves as a source of alienation for the individual. Economic structure and superstructure are sources of alienation and require critique and revolution (communism) (culture, politics, etc. ) Critical-emancipatory views sees knowledge as self-reflection; realization of need for change. How close you are to the situation/those affected can vary widely. The goal here is to critique status quo and dominant view; revolution often needed. Goal is emancipation (via critique and action to raise awareness and educate) Ruling elite uses a process called hegemony to get members to accept subordination. Real advances in gender, diversity issues, working conditions, the environment, etc. Can encourage us to see all elites as oppressive.