Culture Studies
Section Overview: Detailed explanations for questions from the June 2025 Exam regarding Culture Studies.
Question 21
Who is of the opinion that the concept of "ideology" is "the most important conceptual category in cultural studies"?
Who is of the opinion that the concept of "ideology" is "the most important conceptual category in cultural studies"?
Correct Answer: 2. Graeme Turner
For Turner and other scholars in the tradition of British Cultural Studies (e.g., Raymond Williams, Stuart Hall), ideology refers to the systems of meaning and belief that shape how people perceive reality, power, identity, and culture. It is a central concept in examining media, literature, social practices, and institutions, especially in how they reproduce or resist dominant power structures.
❌ Why Other Options Are Incorrect:
1. James Carey – An American communication theorist known for distinguishing between transmission and ritual views of communication, not for making such a statement about ideology in Cultural Studies.
3. Raymond Williams – While Williams deeply explored the concept of ideology in texts like Marxism and Literature and Keywords, he did not make the definitive claim that ideology is the most important concept—he treated it as one among several key terms in culture.
4. Pavarotti – Luciano Pavarotti was an opera singer, completely unrelated to cultural theory or the academic study of ideology.
📘 Commentary (UGC NET English)
This question is central to understanding the theoretical framework of Cultural Studies, a crucial area in the UGC NET English syllabus. Recognizing that Graeme Turner identifies ideology as the foundational analytical tool highlights the importance of power, discourse, and representation in literature and media. Students preparing for the exam should be well-versed in key cultural theorists and their contributions, especially when tackling questions related to critical theory, postcolonialism, and media studies. Understanding how ideology shapes cultural meaning is essential for both objective MCQs and analytical responses in the exam.
Detailed Explanation:
Graeme Turner, a key figure in the field of Cultural Studies, emphasized that the concept of "ideology" is “the most important conceptual category in cultural studies.” This statement appears in his foundational text British Cultural Studies: An Introduction, where Turner outlines the influence of Marxist theory, semiotics, and poststructuralism on cultural analysis.For Turner and other scholars in the tradition of British Cultural Studies (e.g., Raymond Williams, Stuart Hall), ideology refers to the systems of meaning and belief that shape how people perceive reality, power, identity, and culture. It is a central concept in examining media, literature, social practices, and institutions, especially in how they reproduce or resist dominant power structures.
❌ Why Other Options Are Incorrect:
1. James Carey – An American communication theorist known for distinguishing between transmission and ritual views of communication, not for making such a statement about ideology in Cultural Studies.
3. Raymond Williams – While Williams deeply explored the concept of ideology in texts like Marxism and Literature and Keywords, he did not make the definitive claim that ideology is the most important concept—he treated it as one among several key terms in culture.
4. Pavarotti – Luciano Pavarotti was an opera singer, completely unrelated to cultural theory or the academic study of ideology.
📘 Commentary (UGC NET English)
This question is central to understanding the theoretical framework of Cultural Studies, a crucial area in the UGC NET English syllabus. Recognizing that Graeme Turner identifies ideology as the foundational analytical tool highlights the importance of power, discourse, and representation in literature and media. Students preparing for the exam should be well-versed in key cultural theorists and their contributions, especially when tackling questions related to critical theory, postcolonialism, and media studies. Understanding how ideology shapes cultural meaning is essential for both objective MCQs and analytical responses in the exam.
Question 22
Who has coined the phrase "Bricolage"?
Who has coined the phrase "Bricolage"?
Correct Answer: 1. Claude Levi Strauss
A bricoleur is a “handyman” or “tinkerer” who uses whatever is at hand to create or solve problems. In structuralist terms, bricolage refers to the way cultural systems (like myths, rituals, or even literature) are formed by recombining pre-existing signs and elements.
The concept was later adopted and expanded in postmodern theory, cultural studies, and media theory, especially in discussions of subcultures and style, such as in the work of Dick Hebdige, who used bricolage to explain how punk fashion reassembled mainstream cultural symbols in rebellious ways.
❌ Why Other Options Are Incorrect:
2. Raymond Williams – Known for developing concepts like “structure of feeling” and “cultural materialism,” but not for coining bricolage.
3. Martin Heidegger – German philosopher associated with existential phenomenology and terms like Dasein and Being-in-the-world—no link to bricolage.
4. Michel Foucault – A major theorist of power, discourse, and knowledge, but he did not use or coin the term bricolage in his works.
📘 Commentary (UGC NET English)
This question delves into the core vocabulary of structuralist and poststructuralist theory, both of which are essential areas in UGC NET English. Claude Lévi-Strauss’s concept of bricolage has had a lasting impact across disciplines, particularly in how we analyze texts, myths, and cultural practices as recombinations of existing structures. Recognizing foundational terms like bricolage and their origins is crucial for tackling questions in literary theory, cultural studies, and comparative literature within the exam framework.
Detailed Explanation:
The term “bricolage” was coined by Claude Lévi-Strauss, the French anthropologist and structuralist, in his influential book The Savage Mind (La Pensée Sauvage, 1962). In it, Lévi-Strauss uses the concept to describe the way mythical thought constructs meaning by reusing and reassembling available cultural materials and signs, rather than inventing from scratch.A bricoleur is a “handyman” or “tinkerer” who uses whatever is at hand to create or solve problems. In structuralist terms, bricolage refers to the way cultural systems (like myths, rituals, or even literature) are formed by recombining pre-existing signs and elements.
The concept was later adopted and expanded in postmodern theory, cultural studies, and media theory, especially in discussions of subcultures and style, such as in the work of Dick Hebdige, who used bricolage to explain how punk fashion reassembled mainstream cultural symbols in rebellious ways.
❌ Why Other Options Are Incorrect:
2. Raymond Williams – Known for developing concepts like “structure of feeling” and “cultural materialism,” but not for coining bricolage.
3. Martin Heidegger – German philosopher associated with existential phenomenology and terms like Dasein and Being-in-the-world—no link to bricolage.
4. Michel Foucault – A major theorist of power, discourse, and knowledge, but he did not use or coin the term bricolage in his works.
📘 Commentary (UGC NET English)
This question delves into the core vocabulary of structuralist and poststructuralist theory, both of which are essential areas in UGC NET English. Claude Lévi-Strauss’s concept of bricolage has had a lasting impact across disciplines, particularly in how we analyze texts, myths, and cultural practices as recombinations of existing structures. Recognizing foundational terms like bricolage and their origins is crucial for tackling questions in literary theory, cultural studies, and comparative literature within the exam framework.
Question 23
Who has coined the term "Onto-Theology"?
Who has coined the term "Onto-Theology"?
Correct Answer: 1. Jacques Derrida
Derrida, in his deconstructive philosophy, adopted the term to further explore how Western philosophical thought has historically grounded itself in a central presence, or an absolute being—what he refers to as “logocentrism.” Onto-theology, in this sense, is the metaphysical tendency to reduce being to a single foundational source, like God or a divine rationality, which Derrida critiques as a form of closure or totalization of meaning.
His deconstruction of onto-theology appears in works like:
Writing and Difference
Margins of Philosophy
And his dialogues with Heidegger’s thought
❌ Why Other Options Are Incorrect:
2. Felix Guattari – A French philosopher and psychoanalyst best known for his collaborations with Deleuze (Anti-Oedipus, A Thousand Plateaus), focusing on schizoanalysis and capitalism, not onto-theology.
3. Gilles Deleuze – A major poststructuralist thinker, Deleuze’s work centers on difference, becoming, and multiplicity, but he did not coin or focus on the term “onto-theology.”
4. Ben Jonson – An Elizabethan dramatist and poet, completely unrelated to continental philosophy or metaphysical critique.
📘 Commentary (UGC NET English)
This question draws attention to key philosophical terms and critiques that influence literary theory and poststructuralist thought, essential for success in UGC NET English. Jacques Derrida’s deconstruction of onto-theology challenges the Western tradition's reliance on a single metaphysical origin, which is foundational in analyzing texts beyond fixed meanings. Students should familiarize themselves with such terms to better understand the philosophical underpinnings of literary deconstruction, postmodernism, and critical theory, all of which are high-priority topics in the exam.
Detailed Explanation:
The term “Onto-Theology” was coined and popularized by Jacques Derrida, although its origin traces back to Martin Heidegger, who critiqued Western metaphysics for conflating ontology (the study of being) with theology (the study of God).Derrida, in his deconstructive philosophy, adopted the term to further explore how Western philosophical thought has historically grounded itself in a central presence, or an absolute being—what he refers to as “logocentrism.” Onto-theology, in this sense, is the metaphysical tendency to reduce being to a single foundational source, like God or a divine rationality, which Derrida critiques as a form of closure or totalization of meaning.
His deconstruction of onto-theology appears in works like:
Writing and Difference
Margins of Philosophy
And his dialogues with Heidegger’s thought
❌ Why Other Options Are Incorrect:
2. Felix Guattari – A French philosopher and psychoanalyst best known for his collaborations with Deleuze (Anti-Oedipus, A Thousand Plateaus), focusing on schizoanalysis and capitalism, not onto-theology.
3. Gilles Deleuze – A major poststructuralist thinker, Deleuze’s work centers on difference, becoming, and multiplicity, but he did not coin or focus on the term “onto-theology.”
4. Ben Jonson – An Elizabethan dramatist and poet, completely unrelated to continental philosophy or metaphysical critique.
📘 Commentary (UGC NET English)
This question draws attention to key philosophical terms and critiques that influence literary theory and poststructuralist thought, essential for success in UGC NET English. Jacques Derrida’s deconstruction of onto-theology challenges the Western tradition's reliance on a single metaphysical origin, which is foundational in analyzing texts beyond fixed meanings. Students should familiarize themselves with such terms to better understand the philosophical underpinnings of literary deconstruction, postmodernism, and critical theory, all of which are high-priority topics in the exam.
Question 24
Who has designed "Panopticon" and used the term as "a new mode of obtaining power of mind over mind"?
Who has designed "Panopticon" and used the term as "a new mode of obtaining power of mind over mind"?
Correct Answer: 2. Jeremy Bentham
He famously described it as:
“A new mode of obtaining power of mind over mind, in a quantity hitherto without example.”
The purpose was to create a system of self-regulation through the possibility of constant surveillance, making individuals discipline themselves even in the absence of actual observation. While Bentham proposed it for penal reform, its implications for social control and surveillance became more widely recognized in later critical theory.
❌ Why Other Options Are Incorrect:
1. Antony Easthope – A literary theorist who contributed to poststructuralist and Marxist literary criticism, but he did not create the concept of the Panopticon.
3. Alan Sheridan – A translator and scholar who translated Michel Foucault’s Discipline and Punish into English. While he helped popularize the Panopticon metaphor in English, he was not its originator.
4. Madan Sarup – An Indian-British theorist known for his work on identity and postcolonial theory, particularly in post-structuralist discourse, but he did not design or define the Panopticon.
📘 Commentary (UGC NET English)
This question bridges philosophy, surveillance, and critical theory, all of which are highly relevant for UGC NET English aspirants, especially in areas like Cultural Studies, Postmodernism, and Disciplinary Power. While Jeremy Bentham introduced the Panopticon as a prison model, its later adaptation by Michel Foucault (in Discipline and Punish) turned it into a central metaphor for modern systems of power and control. Understanding its origins and philosophical implications sharpens your analytical lens for examining how literature, institutions, and media encode power structures—a skill crucial for both objective and theoretical questions on the exam.
Detailed Explanation:
The concept of the Panopticon was designed and theorized by Jeremy Bentham, an English philosopher and social reformer, in the late 18th century. Bentham proposed the Panopticon as an architectural model for prisons, where a central observation tower allows a single watchman to observe all inmates without them knowing whether or not they are being watched.He famously described it as:
“A new mode of obtaining power of mind over mind, in a quantity hitherto without example.”
The purpose was to create a system of self-regulation through the possibility of constant surveillance, making individuals discipline themselves even in the absence of actual observation. While Bentham proposed it for penal reform, its implications for social control and surveillance became more widely recognized in later critical theory.
❌ Why Other Options Are Incorrect:
1. Antony Easthope – A literary theorist who contributed to poststructuralist and Marxist literary criticism, but he did not create the concept of the Panopticon.
3. Alan Sheridan – A translator and scholar who translated Michel Foucault’s Discipline and Punish into English. While he helped popularize the Panopticon metaphor in English, he was not its originator.
4. Madan Sarup – An Indian-British theorist known for his work on identity and postcolonial theory, particularly in post-structuralist discourse, but he did not design or define the Panopticon.
📘 Commentary (UGC NET English)
This question bridges philosophy, surveillance, and critical theory, all of which are highly relevant for UGC NET English aspirants, especially in areas like Cultural Studies, Postmodernism, and Disciplinary Power. While Jeremy Bentham introduced the Panopticon as a prison model, its later adaptation by Michel Foucault (in Discipline and Punish) turned it into a central metaphor for modern systems of power and control. Understanding its origins and philosophical implications sharpens your analytical lens for examining how literature, institutions, and media encode power structures—a skill crucial for both objective and theoretical questions on the exam.
Question 25
Name the theory which assumes that "culture is not separate from nature, and that there is no hierarchy of actants such that the human is more privileged".
Name the theory which assumes that "culture is not separate from nature, and that there is no hierarchy of actants such that the human is more privileged".
Correct Answer: 1. Actor Network Theory
Key features of ANT include:
Rejection of hierarchical dualisms like nature/culture, subject/object, or human/non-human.
Flat ontology, meaning all elements (people, machines, texts, technologies, animals, etc.) are treated as equally important in shaping outcomes.
Focus on how networks of relations are formed, maintained, and transformed.
The statement "culture is not separate from nature, and that there is no hierarchy of actants such that the human is more privileged" reflects the core philosophy of ANT, which resists privileging human agency over non-human agency.
❌ Why Other Options Are Incorrect:
2. Posthumanism – While posthumanism also critiques human exceptionalism and explores relationships between humans and technology, it is a broader philosophical stance, not the specific theory described in the question. ANT is often associated with posthumanism, but it is distinct and more methodologically focused.
3. Cultural Materialism – A Marxist approach (developed by Raymond Williams and others) that examines literature in relation to historical and ideological structures, focusing on class, power, and culture—not on non-human agency or flattening ontologies.
4. Adaptation Theory –Concerned with the transformation of texts across media (e.g., novel to film), this theory deals with narrative translation and intertextuality, not with nature/culture binaries or actant hierarchies.
📘 Commentary (UGC NET English)
This question connects directly with contemporary developments in literary theory, environmental humanities, and cultural studies, all of which are crucial for UGC NET English. Understanding Actor Network Theory equips students to engage with non-anthropocentric frameworks, especially when analyzing texts that involve technology, nature, and multi-agential systems. It also prepares you to answer interdisciplinary questions that increasingly appear in the theory and criticism sections of the exam. Familiarity with concepts like actants, networks, and distributed agency is vital for mastering current trends in post-theory and ecocriticism.
Detailed Explanation:
Actor Network Theory (ANT) is a theoretical and methodological approach developed primarily by Bruno Latour, Michel Callon, and John Law. ANT challenges traditional social theories by proposing that both human and non-human entities (called "actants") participate equally in the formation of networks.Key features of ANT include:
Rejection of hierarchical dualisms like nature/culture, subject/object, or human/non-human.
Flat ontology, meaning all elements (people, machines, texts, technologies, animals, etc.) are treated as equally important in shaping outcomes.
Focus on how networks of relations are formed, maintained, and transformed.
The statement "culture is not separate from nature, and that there is no hierarchy of actants such that the human is more privileged" reflects the core philosophy of ANT, which resists privileging human agency over non-human agency.
❌ Why Other Options Are Incorrect:
2. Posthumanism – While posthumanism also critiques human exceptionalism and explores relationships between humans and technology, it is a broader philosophical stance, not the specific theory described in the question. ANT is often associated with posthumanism, but it is distinct and more methodologically focused.
3. Cultural Materialism – A Marxist approach (developed by Raymond Williams and others) that examines literature in relation to historical and ideological structures, focusing on class, power, and culture—not on non-human agency or flattening ontologies.
4. Adaptation Theory –Concerned with the transformation of texts across media (e.g., novel to film), this theory deals with narrative translation and intertextuality, not with nature/culture binaries or actant hierarchies.
📘 Commentary (UGC NET English)
This question connects directly with contemporary developments in literary theory, environmental humanities, and cultural studies, all of which are crucial for UGC NET English. Understanding Actor Network Theory equips students to engage with non-anthropocentric frameworks, especially when analyzing texts that involve technology, nature, and multi-agential systems. It also prepares you to answer interdisciplinary questions that increasingly appear in the theory and criticism sections of the exam. Familiarity with concepts like actants, networks, and distributed agency is vital for mastering current trends in post-theory and ecocriticism.