Cultural Methodologies

Cultural Methodologies illustrates the distinctiveness and coherence of cultural studies as a site of interaction between the humanities and the social sciences. Topics covered include: the relationship between critical theory and cultural studies; the pragmatics of cultural research and education; ethical questions and research purposes; the role of feminism in cultural studies; the uses of autobiography; the analysis of city cultures; textual analysis and ethnographic procedures; constructions of identity in relation to `race′, sexuality and nationhood; the use of qualitative and quantitative data; and some of the main issues involved in generating research findings for a thesis or other publication. The book is written for students either commencing or intending to do research in cultural studies. It stresses how necessary it is to consider and plan very carefully the rationales and principles in research while avoiding the straitjacket of `methodolatory′.