Worksheet for Postgraduate Students on Cultural Studies

 Worksheet for Postgraduate Students on Cultural Studies

Task: Exploring Contemporary Cultural Concepts

Objective: To critically engage with key concepts in contemporary cultural studies using AI as a learning tool.

Instructions:

1. Familiarize yourself with the following concepts:

   • Slow Movement
   • Dromology
   • Risk Society
   • Postfeminism
   • Hyperreal
   • Hypermodernism
   • Cyberfeminism
   • Posthumanism

2. Engage with Gemini/ChatGPT: Use the following prompt to initiate a conversation with the AI about each concept:

   Prompt: "Explain the concept of [insert concept here] in cultural studies, providing a clear definition, its key characteristics, and a relevant example. Relate this concept to contemporary society and discuss its potential implications."

3. Analyze the AI's response: Carefully read and evaluate the information provided by the AI. Consider its accuracy, clarity, and comprehensiveness.

4. Conduct further research: Supplement the AI's response with your own research using academic sources (books, journals, articles).

5. Write a blog post: Based on your understanding from the AI's response and your own research, write a blog post of approximately 800-1000 words that addresses the following:

   • A clear and concise explanation of each concept.
   • Real-world examples that illustrate each concept.
   • Connections and relationships between the different concepts.
   • Critical analysis of the concepts and their relevance in contemporary society.
   • Your own perspectives and insights on the implications of these concepts for the future.

Submission:

• Submit your blog post electronically in a Word document or PDF format.
• Include a title page with your name, student ID, and the date.
• Use a clear and engaging writing style, with proper grammar and spelling.
• Cite all sources using a consistent citation style (e.g., MLA, APA).

Assessment Criteria:

• Understanding of concepts: Demonstrates a clear and accurate understanding of the key concepts.
• Critical analysis: Provides insightful analysis and evaluation of the concepts and their significance.
• Real-world application: Effectively uses real-world examples to illustrate the concepts.
• Synthesis and connections: Identifies connections and relationships between the different concepts.
• Clarity and organization: Presents ideas in a clear, organized, and engaging manner.
• Research and referencing: Supports arguments with evidence from credible sources and uses proper citation format.

Tips for Success:

• Be specific in your prompts to the AI. The more specific your questions, the more relevant and helpful the responses will be.
• Don't rely solely on the AI's responses. Use the AI as a starting point for your research and supplement it with your own exploration of academic sources.
• Think critically about the information provided by the AI. Evaluate its accuracy and consider different perspectives.
• Use real-world examples to make the concepts more relatable and understandable.
• Connect the concepts to your own experiences and observations.
• Proofread your blog post carefully before submitting it.

This worksheet provides a structured framework for postgraduate students to engage with complex cultural concepts using AI as a tool for learning and critical thinking. By following these instructions, students can develop a deeper understanding of these concepts and their relevance in contemporary society, while also enhancing their research and writing skills.

Reading Resources:

Slow Movement

• Books:
  • Honoré, Carl. In Praise of Slowness: How a Worldwide Movement Is Challenging the Cult of Speed. HarperOne, 2005.
  • Parkins, Wendy. The Slow Food Movement: Politics, Pleasure, and the Paradox of Locality. Temple University Press, 2010.
• Journal Articles:
  • Griffiths, Michael B., and Dawn Gilpin. "Slow Tourism: An Alternative Tourism for a Sustainable World." Journal of Sustainable Tourism, vol. 28, no. 7, 2020, pp. 904-918.
• TED Talk:
  • Tim Leberecht: "3 Ways to Practice Slow Leadership" [Video]. TED, [invalid URL removed]. Accessed 12 Oct. 2024.
  • Blog: https://blog.dilipbarad.com/2020/02/slow-movement.html

Dromology

• Books:
  • Virilio, Paul. Speed and Politics: An Essay on Dromology. Semiotext(e), 2006.
  • Virilio, Paul. The Information Bomb. Verso, 2000.
• Journal Articles:
  • Armitage, John. "Paul Virilio: From Modernism to Hypermodernism and Beyond." Theory, Culture & Society, vol. 21, no. 1, 2004, pp. 53-78.

Risk Society

• Books:
  • Beck, Ulrich. Risk Society: Towards a New Modernity. Sage Publications, 1992.
  • Giddens, Anthony. The Consequences of Modernity. Polity Press, 1990.
• Journal Articles:
  • Lupton, Deborah. "Risk and the Ontology of Pregnant Embodiment." Risk Management, vol. 4, no. 4, 2002, pp. 33-49.

Postfeminism

• Books:
  • Gill, Rosalind. Postfeminist Media Culture: Elements of a Sensibility. Palgrave Macmillan, 2007.
  • Tasker, Yvonne, and Diane Negra. Interrogating Postfeminism: Gender and the Politics of Popular Culture. Duke University Press, 2007.  
• Journal Articles:
  • McRobbie, Angela. "Post-feminism and Popular Culture." Feminist Media Studies, vol. 4, no. 3, 2004, pp. 255-264.

Hyperreal

• Books:
  • Baudrillard, Jean. Simulacra and Simulation. University of Michigan Press, 1994.
  • Eco, Umberto. Travels in Hyperreality. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1986.
• Journal Articles:
  • Kellner, Douglas. "Jean Baudrillard: From Marxism to Postmodernism and Beyond." Theory, Culture & Society, vol. 10, no. 2, 1993, pp. 1-48.

Hypermodernism

• Books:
  • Lipovetsky, Gilles. Hypermodern Times. Polity Press, 2005.
  • Virilio, Paul. The Art of the Motor. University of Minnesota Press, 1995.
• Journal Articles:
  • Kirby, Alan. "The Death of Postmodernism and Beyond." Philosophy Now, no. 58, 2006, pp. 31-33.

Cyberfeminism

• Books:
  • Plant, Sadie. Zeros + Ones: Digital Women and the New Technoculture. Fourth Estate, 1997.
  • Haraway, Donna J. Simians, Cyborgs, and Women: The Reinvention of Nature. Routledge, 1991.
• Journal Articles:
  • Hawthorne, Susan, and Renate Klein. "Cyberfeminism: Connectivity, Critique and Creativity." Spinifex Press, 1999.
  • Blog: https://blog.dilipbarad.com/2020/02/cyberfeminism-ai-and-gender-biases.html

Posthumanism

• Books:
  • Braidotti, Rosi. The Posthuman. Polity Press, 2013.
  • Hayles, N. Katherine. How We Became Posthuman: Virtual Bodies in Cybernetics, Literature, and Informatics. University of Chicago Press, 1999.  
• Journal Articles:
  • Wolfe, Cary. "What Is Posthumanism?" University of Minnesota Press, 2010.
  • Blog: https://blog.dilipbarad.com/2019/03/why-are-we-so-scared-of-robots-ais.html

This list provides a starting point for your research. You can find more resources by searching library databases, online journals, and academic websites. Remember to evaluate the credibility and relevance of each source before using it. Good luck with your exploration of these complex and thought-provoking concepts!

 Introduction to Research Methodology

Points covered in this session are:

• Research Attitude & Aptitude
• Research Method & Methodology
• Review of Related Literature – The Backbone of Research
• Deciding on a Research Topic
• Turning a Topic into an Argument
• Research and Publication Ethics

Presentation with embedded Videos on Literature Review:

Click here to open presentation

Video Recording of the Session with the students of Auro University:

Video Recording of the session (Amity University, Jaipur, Rajasthan)

Auro University, Surat, Gujarat

Amity University, Jaipur, Rajasthan

Macbeth

Worksheet: William Shakespeare’s Macbeth

Worksheet - Screening Play Performance of Macbeth by Globe Theatre, London

Click here to open the worksheet

Presentation on 'William Shakespeare: About the Playwright'

William Shakespeare - About the Playwright from Dilip Barad

Presentation on 'Macbeth' - About the Play

Macbeth - About the Play from Dilip Barad

1.      Write an essay on your understanding of the concept of Shakespearean Tragedy. Justify / Illustrate ‘Macbeth’ as Shakespearean Tragedy.

2.      What is Aristotelian concept of Tragedy? How far does ‘Macbeth’ fit in the Aristotelean concept of Tragedy?

3.      What do you mean by ‘Poetic Justice’? Is there a poetic justice in ‘Macbeth’? Illustrate your answer.

4.      Can we read Macbeth as Aristotelian ‘tragic hero’? If so, what is his ‘hamartia’?

5.      What is the meaning of ‘hamartia’? What is Macbeth’s hamartia? Compare it with hamartia of other tragic heroes known to you (like Hamlet, Othello, Oedipus etc).

6.      What do you understand by the concept of ‘hero-villain’? Is Macbeth a fit character for this concept? Illustrate your answer.

7.      What sort of artistic liberties are taken by William Shakespeare in ‘Macbeth’? (Key: Historical Macbeth vs Literary Macbeth: https://www.scotland.org.uk/history/time-macbeth - the sequence of the murder of King Duncan and that of Banquo are purely imaginative interpolation. The goodness given to the character of Banquo is also questioned on the grounds that the ruling King James I was a lineage of Banquo’s from Scotland).

8.      What is the content of the ‘letter’ written by Macbeth to Lady Macbeth? What is its importance in the play?

9.      Thematic Study:

a.       The theme of Ambition

b.      Tragedy of Ambition – the Medievalism

c.       The Unchecked Ambition and its Power to Corrupt the nobleness within humans

d.      Cruelty and Masculinity

e.       Theme of Guilty Conscience

10.  Character Study:

a.       Macbeth – the Hero-Villain – the Valiant Villain – The Milk of Human Kindness wasted on the altar of ambition – tragic hero

b.      Lady Macbeth – a Witch or a Victim?

c.       Macduff – the ultimate avenger

d.      Banquo

e.       King Duncan

f.        Malcolm and Donalbain

g.      Lady Macduff

11.  The Study of Scenes from the play ‘Macbeth’:

a.       Scenes of Three Witches

b.      Murder of King Duncan

c.       Porter Scene

d.      Banquet scene – Visitation of Banquo’s Ghost

e.       Night walking scene of Lady Macbeth

f.        Final fight between Macbeth and Macduff

12.  The Study of Quotations:

a.       Macbeth’s soliloquy in Act I, Scene 3: This supernatural soliciting
Cannot be ill, cannot be good. If ill,
Why hath it given me earnest of success,
Commencing in a truth?

b.      Macbeth’s soliloquy in Act 1, Scene 7: If it were done when ‘tis done, then ‘twere well
It were done quickly

c.       Macbeth’s soliloquy in Act 2, Scene 1: Is this a dagger which I see before me,
This handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee.

d.      Macbeth says these lines in Act 2, Scene 2: Whence is that knocking? –
How is’t with me, when every noise appalls me?
What hands are here! Ha, they pluck out mine eyes.
Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood
Clean from my hand?

e.       Macbeth in Act 5, Scence 5: Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow

f.        Banquo in Act 1, Sc 3: “Oftentimes to win us to out harm, the instruments of darkness tell us truths, win us with honest trifles, to betray’s in deepest consequence.

g.      Lady Macbeth in Act 1 Sc 5: The raven himself is hoarse . . .

h.      Lady Macbeth in Act 5 Sc Out damned spot. . . Hell is murky.

13.  The Study of Cinematic Adaptations of ‘Macbeth’:

a.       Write a note on any one film adaptation of ‘Macbeth’

                                                              i.      What changes are made by film makers in the adaptation?

                                                            ii.      How are these topics dealt in the film adaptation - ‘the setting’, ‘the witches’, ‘events’ & ‘theme’?

b.      Some of the well-known cinematic adaptations are:

                                                              i.      Orsan Welles’s Macbeth (1948)

                                                            ii.      Akira Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood (1957)

                                                          iii.      Roman Polanski’s ‘Macbeth’ (1971)

                                                          iv.      Vishal Bhardwaj’s Maqbool (2003)

                                                            v.      Geoffrey Wright’s ‘Macbeth’ (2006)

                                                          vi.      Justin Kurzel’s ‘Macbeth’ (2015)

14.  Research:

a.       Shakespeare based Macbeth very loosely on historical figures and events. Research the true story of Macbeth. Explain the differences between history and Shakespeare's version. Explain the effects that Shakespeare's changes have on the overall story.

b.      Research the Great Chain of Being in Elizabethan times. Explain the Great Chain of Being and develop a thesis about its effects on Macbeth. How is this way of viewing the world evident in Macbeth? Provide examples from the play

c.       The Politics of Aloofness in "Macbeth" BALDO, JONATHAN. “The Politics of Aloofness in ‘Macbeth.’” English Literary Renaissance, vol. 26, no. 3, 1996, pp. 531–560. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/43447533.

d.      "Macbeth" and the Play of Absolutes Reid, B. L. “‘Macbeth’ and the Play of Absolutes.” The Sewanee Review, vol. 73, no. 1, 1965, pp. 19–46. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/27541080

Question for Examination purpose (Click here)

To appear in Online Test, click here

Worksheet: Aristotle's Poetics (Short Video Lectures, Quiz and Questions)

Worksheet

Aristotle's Poetics

On this worksheet you will find Short Video Lectures, Quiz and Questions on Aristotle's Poetics

Plato and Aristotle

Download Ingram Bywater's translation of 'Poetics'

Download S H Butcher's translation of 'Poetics'

Download Study Material

Download Sophocles's Oedipus, the Rex

View these Short Video Lectures and respond to the questions given below. Give your responses as ‘Comment’ below this blog. Please attempt the quiz also. The link of the quiz is given below embedded videos.

Plato's Objection to Poetry and Aristotle's Defence from Dilip Barad

Short Video Lecture - 1

Plato's Main Objections against Poets and Poetry:

Short Video Lecture - 2

Aristotle's reply to Plato's charges

Short Video Lecture - 3

Theory of Mimesis

Short Video Lecture - 4

Definition of Tragedy

Short Video Lecture - 5

Plot is the Soul

Short Video Lecture - 6

Tragic Hero

Quiz on Aristotle's Poetics

Questions to Respond: (Give your responses in Comment below this blog)

1.  How far do you agree with Plato’s objection to freedom of expression and artistic liberty enjoyed by creative writers? Name the texts (novels, plays, poems, movies, TV soaps etc which can be rightfully objected and banned with reference to Plato’s objections)

2.  With reference to the literary texts you have studied during B.A. programme, write brief note on the texts which followed Aristotelian literary tradition (i.e. his concept of tragedy, catharsis, tragic hero with hamartia etc)

3.  With reference to the literary texts you have studied during B.A. programme, write brief note on the texts which did NOT follow Aristotelian literary tradition. (i.e. his concept of tragedy, catharsis, tragic hero with hamartia etc.)

4.  Have you studied any tragedies during B.A. programme? Who was/were the tragic protagonist/s in those tragedies? What was their ‘hamartia’?

5. Did the ‘Plot’ of those tragedies follow necessary rules and regulations proposed by Aristotle? (Like chain of cause and effect, principle of probability and necessity, harmonious arrangement of incidents, complete, certain magnitude, unity of action etc)

Presentations on T.S. Eliot's 'The Waste Land'

Presentations, Quiz and Points to Ponder on T.S. Eliot's 'The Waste Land'

1) "Shantih" in The Waste Land. Author(s): K. Narayana Chandran. Source: American Literature, Vol. 61, No. 4 (Dec., 1989), pp. 681-683. Published by: Duke University Press. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2927003
2) The Waste Land and the Upanishads : What Does the Thunder Say? Author(s): M. E GRENANDER and K. S. NARAYANA RAO. Source: Indian Literature, Vol. 14, No. 1 (MARCH 1971), pp. 85-98. Published by: Sahitya Akademi. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/23330564

1. 'The Waste Land' by T.S. Eliot

The literature is not only the mirror image of society. It can neither be limited to the metaphor of photographic representation, nor be limited to the lamp which brightens the corner of society or human nature. Sometimes, literature is the x-ray image of the society. The black and while skeleton of society. The ugly-but-real-at-its-core face of society is captured on transparent paper. The writer's eyes like an x-ray machine, penetrates deep and captures the nuances of social decay, moral decay and cultural decay. The rotten state of human life in the early quarter of the Twentieth century is meticulously captured by T.S. Eliot in 'The Waste Land - quite aptly known as 'The Modern Epic'. The root cause of this decay (social, moral and cultural) is spiritual degradation and sexual perversion. Is spiritual degradation the cause of sexual perversion or the effect of sexual perversion is due to spiritual degradation? It is not easy to answer this is simple cause-effect relationship. They both are interdependent. They have walked hand-in-hand, in past, they walk together in present and they will, if the lessons are not learnt from literature. People question the usefulness of 'Arts' in life. Can we find the answer art (verbal) like 'The Waste Land'.

An Introduction and Themati... by dilipbarad

2. Universal Human Laws in the Modern Epic 'The Waste Land'

Are myths subtle codes that contain some universal truth? Are they a window on the deep recesses of a particular culture? Or are they just entertaining stories that people like to tell over and over? The Waste Land not only makes extensive use of myths but also makes, a myth – the myth of the hollowness of Human Beings in Modern Times.The rituals of the modern men are mythified – which in turn attempts to legitimize it.Or rather it would be better to say: the rituals (sexual sins) are illegitimized in epic which is heavily drawn as modern day myth – the myth of decay, desolation and degeneration of human values, civilizations and cultures.As the poem operates in a dismantling way, rather than legitimizing, it illegitimizes the rituals of the Modern Times.

Universal Human Laws in T.S... by dilipbarad

3. Autobiographical Elements in T.S. Eliot's 'The Waste Land'

It is well said that “Honest criticism and sensitive appreciation is directed not upon the poet but upon the poetry” . . . and . . . “Poetry is not a turning loose of emotion, but an escape from emotion; it is not the expression of personality, but an escape from personality”.Consciously, the poet should make such attempts . . . But the Un/Subconscious is not under the control and commands of Conscious Mind. It finds it outlet in the expression. At the very moment when, quite  consciously, the poet has surrendered itself to the process of creation, it leaks out – it finds its moment of expression. T.S. Eliot, the high priest of the school of depersonalization is also not free from the ‘Un/Subconscious overflow of powerful self . . . Which can only be recollected in tranquility by the biographical critics’.

Autobiographical Elements i... by dilipbarad

4. Shantih:

Three kinds of children of Praja-pati, Lord of Children, lived as Brahman-students with Praja-pati their father: the gods, human beings, the demons.—Living with him as Brahman students, the gods spake, 'Teach us, Exalted One.'—Unto them he spake this one syllable Da. 'Have ye understood?'—'We have understood', thus they spake, 'it was damyata, control yourselves, that thou saidest unto us.'—'Yes', spake he, 'ye have understood.' Then spake to him human beings, 'Teach us, Exalted One.' —Unto them he spake that selfsame syllable Da. 'Have ye understood?'— 'We have understood', thus they spake, 'it was 

datta, give, that thou saidest unto us.'—'Yes', spake he, 'ye have

understood.' Then spake to him the demons, 'Teach us, Exalted One.' —Unto them he spake that selfsame syllable Da. 'Have ye 

understood?'—'We have understood', thus they spake, 'it was 

dayadhvam, be compassionate, that thou saidest unto us.'—'Yes*, spake he, 'ye have understood.' This it is which that voice of god repeats, the thunder, when it rolls 'Da Da Da,' that is damyata datta dayadhvam. Therefore these three must be learned, self-control, giving, compassion. ~ Charles Rockwell Lanman, former Wales Professor of Sanskrit at Harvard University and Eliot's teacher of Sanskrit and Buddhism

Ezra Pound and the drafts of The Waste Land

Quiz:

Points to ponder:

1) What are your views on the following image after reading 'The Waste Land'? Do you think that Eliot is regressive as compared to Nietzche's views? or Has Eliot achieved universality of thought by recalling mytho-historical answer to the contemporary malaise?

T.S. Eliot and F. Nietzche

2) Prior to the speech, Gustaf Hellström of the Swedish Academy made these remarks:

T.S. Eliot and S. Freud

What are your views regarding these comments? Is it true that giving free vent to the repressed 'primitive instinct' lead us to happy and satisfied life? or do you agree with Eliot's view that 'salvation of man lies in the preservation of the cultural tradition'?

3) Write about allusions to the Indian thoughts in 'The Waste Land'. (Where, How and Why are the Indian thoughts referred?)

4) Is it possible to read 'The Waste Land' as a Pandemic Poem?

Key to draft your response:

1) Introductory paragraph > Write about the poem in 50 words > Write about the central theme of the poem.

2) Sub-heading for your response to point no.1 > then explain the point > thereafter express your views.

3) As above for other three points . . .

Video Recordings of Online Remote Teaching:

   

Reading 'The Waste Land' through Pandemic Lens - Part 1

(If you want to read the article - click here)

Reading 'The Waste Land' through Pandemic Lens - Part 2