“Without memory, there is no culture. Without memory, there would be no civilization, no society, no future,” said Elie Wiesel, author and Holocaust survivor. The world is a fabulously intriguing place as participants in a collective society, we enjoy harnessing the limitless potential to create and form identity through culture. One of the ways we stay curious and engaged in a changing world is by examining how different cultures interact with each other. Studying and understanding cultures through their nuances and specialties are what students of cultural studies explore and learn more about in this interdisciplinary field.
The cultural study is an interdisciplinary field of study that involves understanding culture through artistic and textual products like music, films, or books. It also involves critical theory in India. It is concerned with the role of social organizations in the shaping of the future. Cultural studies combine study in different departments such as anthropology, sociology, art criticism, historiography, literary criticism, and philosophy.
This area of study is ideal for those who have an interest in how class, race, gender, and ethnicity create a culture and influence the social shaping of society. Cultural studies will offer you the tools to examine cultural representations, identities, power, and practices.
Major in Cultural Studies
A major in cultural studies allows students to examine day-to-day practices about systems of power. It will assign you a variety of tools required to analyze how meanings are circulated, exchanged, and also produced in cultural contexts. Through this course, you will get to know about how to share our ideas in a persuasive way, how to question our social norms, and how to think systematically.
A major in cultural studies complements every field of study in the social sciences and humanities as well as legal and law studies, arts, economics, science, education, English literature, and commerce. It helps in making you an engaged and informed critical thinker in context to cultural issues and day-to-day experiences. In addition, it encourages better writing skills.
Studying a major in cultural studies will make you an expert in liberal arts subjects, which will help you in learning skills, employability, curiosity, and also transferability. A major in cultural studies will prepare you for further research studies. Many graduates with a cultural study major choose career paths in media, communications, NGO, cultural and heritage sectors, arts, and legal areas.
In addition, cultural studies complement study in other areas of the social sciences and humanities and degrees in law, education, business, and psychology.
The Honours Program in Cultural Studies
The honors program opens career paths to ample opportunities like pursuing a research topic or thinking of getting a high degree. The thesis is an enhanced work of art research on a specific topic chosen by students themselves and is written under the supervision of a staff member who is an active researcher.
The thesis gives a lot of experience to students in conducting and formulating an enhanced piece of their research. Working closely with an experienced member of staff will help in bringing reflections and taking the research to a sharper focus. Hence, it is key to demonstrate the attributes needed in further studies. There are many career options after English honors.
Cultural Studies and Interdisciplinary Career Pathways
A student who completes cultural studies major may open their career pathways to a variety of opportunities. Nowadays, employers seek employees with a diversity of skills and knowledge. Here are some of the career pathways you can follow with a cultural studies degree.
Curator
Just like conservators, curators also work in galleries and museums. Most of the time, curators and conservators work together. However, their roles are entirely different from each other. A curator is someone who conducts plans, research, collects collections, exhibits, and manages promotional tours. A curator has an important role to play in helping creative people sell their work. If you have a knack for art and enjoy working with creative and artists people, then a cultural studies degree is a valuable option for you.
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Conservator
Are you a rover of science or art museums? Did you picture yourself in Egypt standing next to pyramids when you were a kid? Then a conservator career pathway is an ideal option for you. A cultural studies degree will make it easier for you to become a conservator. Most conservators in the art world and media work by preserving, analyzing, or restoring various works of art and artifacts such as books, furniture, textile, and many others.
Some conservators have the opportunity to work in science and art galleries and museums, and these conservators are experts in a required field. There are further career steps as a conservator, but a cultural studies degree can be your first step towards becoming a conservator.
Geographer
Geographers get paid well. It is an ideal job for those who love to stay outside and have a deep interest in culture. A geographer researches field observations generates maps and analyses data. A geographer is needed to have deep knowledge of cultural studies. Geographers have an important role to play in understanding and mapping human beings’ impact on the environment and how various infrastructures and landscapes interact. A major in cultural studies can fulfill your dream of becoming a geographer.
Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity Expert
If you always dreamt of being a changemaker, then a cultural studies major will make your dream come true. In today’s era, many companies are learning that they are needed to train their staff members in equity, inclusion, and also diversity. Students who study cultural studies are experts in critical thinking skills and analyzing things. They are prepared to be the leaders required in a company that is struggling to incorporate policies and languages in diversity, inclusion, and equity in the workplace. A degree in cultural studies will make you a leader in such companies.
These professionals need to have extensive and flexible knowledge of issues of racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination such as homophobia, transphobia, and ableism.
Generally speaking, diversity experts need at least a bachelor’s degree to be eligible to work in their field. Extensive personal experience working in equity initiatives and other social justice movements is a major benefit, as it gives prospective diversity experts firsthand knowledge of their subject beyond a theoretical framework.
Community Outreach Managers
Community outreach managers work for nonprofit, civic engagement, or advocacy organizations, managing outreach efforts such as youth intervention programs, skill-building workshops, or environmental awareness campaigns. They must have the sound financial knowledge to manage the program budget and should be comfortable directing the work of others.
Many nonprofit organizations deal with members of disadvantaged and minority populations, often in urban areas. This makes the communications and cultural awareness skills learned in cultural studies programs good preparation for outreach work.
Conclusion
While cultural studies professors teach students about issues related to race, gender, and how cultures interact, those who teach adult literacy and remedial education classes often work with immigrants. Community outreach managers may help immigrants locate community resources and adapt to the different cultures in their new country. An understanding of different cultures and how culture impacts an individual’s view on education, gender roles, or other issues can help these professionals understand the challenges their students or clients face.