About
Throughout its history, Cultural Studies has maintained an uneasy relationship with the concept of the ‘popular.’ Seen by many as an intellectual-political project defined by its engagement with popular culture, cultural studies has just as frequently sought to differentiate itself from those who celebrate the power of contemporary media and culture. Thirty years after the publication of Stuart Hall’s seminal essay ‘Notes on Deconstructing the Popular’, we are seeking participants interested in examining the importance of the popular for Cultural Studies today. While recent years have witnessed the return of populist political and cultural movements, does the concept of the popular still serve as a tool for understanding contemporary social struggles? Is the concept still a useful tool for understanding and engaging with the intersection between scholarly research and politics or has its usefulness been eclipsed by other terms that more adequately address a new conjuncture?
This conference is being hosted by the Department of Global Communications and was made possible thanks to the generous support of the office of Academic Affairs at the American University of Paris and a grant from the A.W. Mellon Foundation.