Page 10 - Critical and Cultural Theory

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

THE TITLE
/. Critical and cultural theory
There are no universally accepted definitions of the phrases
'critical theory' and 'cultural theory'. This is because critical
theory and cultural theory are not sciences governed by precise
sets of rules and procedures. In fact, they are multi-layered
discourses that integrate diverse themes and approaches.
Moreover, the issues they tackle do not reflect the concerns of any
one self-contained discipline, for those issues are actually central
to a wide range of disciplines: Literary Studies, Cultural Studies,
Linguistics, History, Art History, Politics, Sociology, Anthropol-
ogy, Geography, Media Studies and Science Studies, for example.
Thus, critical theory and cultural theory have redefined traditional
disciplinary boundaries by drawing together disparate fields of
study. In the process, they have created scope for creative
exchanges amongst subject areas once considered separate. In
fostering interdisciplinarity and intellectual cross-fertilization, they
have also encouraged the emergence of new perspectives and facili-
tated the development of academic programmes based on such
perspectives.
This book seeks to highlight the interdisciplinary character of
critical theory and cultural theory, by showing that they have infil-
trated a number of fields, that their principal themes have been the
object of heterogeneous interpretations, and that their own
meanings are open to redefinition over space and time. For
example, the phrase 'critical theory' is often historically associated

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