Introduction to Contemporary Theory

Catalog description

Introduces key ideas and concepts in contemporary critical and cultural theory. In addition to the 'posts'--postmodernism, poststructuralism, post-Marxism, postcolonial studies, post-feminism and posthumanism--explores new theoretical formations that have emerged in response to our contemporary social condition, such as queer theory, trauma theory, disability studies, cognitive studies, the new 'object-oriented' philosophies and materialist theories. And then there's the 'trans' domains--transnationalism, transgender studies and transhumanism--which, like so many contemporary theoretical formations opens up new perspectives on where and how we live, who we are and even what we are. The contemporary theories studied in this course provide the tools for understanding 21st-century life and the limits and enjoyments of our humanity.