Flagship schools with strong cultural studies?

[communistswine]

Does anyone know which flagship schools have a really strong emphasis on theory/cultural studies? I'm only a literature person via my interest in theory. Specifically Foucault, Derrida, Lyotard, Frankfurt School of Marxism, Zizek, and/or Jodi Dean. I have yet to find one bio of someone saying they are an expert on foucault...

[CulturalCriminal]

I feel like the english/lit programs at schools that have crit theory related degrees/certs/minors would be a good route (i.e. UCSC, UCDavis, UCIrvine, Northwestern, Stanford, etc.)

As for Foucault, I don't think that would be something listed specifically on a bio. I would imagine interest terms such as "social control" would be far more helpful in finding faculty interested in Foucault.

I am in a similar boat, given I am more interested in cultural studies and the various intersecting critical schools that often make up cultural studies analysis (especially postcolonial and racial/ethnic). That said, programs specifically for these interests tend to be really low on funding. As such, I'm sticking mostly to Lit and American Studies programs. My list of programs right now consists of: UCIrvine (English), UCDavis (Lit), UTexas (AmStudies), Wisconsin (Engl), Maryland (AmStudies), USC (AmStudies&Ethnicity), CUBoulder (Lit), UCRiverside (Engl), Oregon (Engl), Arizona State (Lit), UArizona (Lit), and U New Mexico (AmStudies).

[thepriorwalter]

17 hours ago, communistswine said:

Does anyone know which flagship schools have a really strong emphasis on theory/cultural studies? I'm only a literature person via my interest in theory. Specifically Foucault, Derrida, Lyotard, Frankfurt School of Marxism, Zizek, and/or Jodi Dean. I have yet to find one bio of someone saying they are an expert on foucault...

David Halperin (Michigan) is a Foucault expert (and still regularly teaches classes on Foucault) but the program itself is more of a literature program than a cultural studies program. Michigan does have an American Culture cultural studies program, however, and you could take classes with Halperin (if anyone else on their faculty interested you). You might also look at comp lit at Michigan (and at other schools)--several comp lit programs have become "theory" programs. To that end, Antoine Traisnel (cross-appointed English/Comp Lit) might interest you. I hear he is wonderful.

Edited August 18, 2017 by thepriorwalter

[echo449]

One problem that you should be aware of is that these schools that you've listed may not support a "pure" theory dissertation--you may have to write a dissertation about literature, and/or go on the job market with the training they offer as a literature program. You should look at recent dissertations and the work of current students before you apply to these places, if literature as such is not your bag.