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The Critical Theory Emphasis (CTE)
graduate program is the curricular arm of UCI's Critical
Theory Institute (CTI).
Scholars of Critical Theory explore and develop theoretical
models
to analyze
and critique cultural forms from literature and art
to more general systems of information, social relations,
and symbolic categories of race, gender, and ethnic
identity. The goal of the CTE is to promote
the study of shared assumptions, problems, and commitments
of the various
discourses in the arts, humanities
and social sciences.
The CTE and CTI draw
on the most prominent scholars of critical theory as
measured
by
our national
and
international reputation, the prominence of the faculty,
and our
ability to attract graduate students and post-doctoral
scholars from around the world. Some of the world's
most erudite scholars of Critical Theory who have been
affiliated with UCI include
Murray Krieger, J. Hillis Miller,
Etienne
Balibar,
Jean Francoise Lyotard, and Wolfgang Iser. As a result,
UCI is known nationally and internationally as an
institution with particular expertise and stature
in critical theory.
This distinction has defined the special character
of the
Arts, Humanities and
Social Sciences at UCI and has contributed to UCI's
national reputation for
scholarly excellence.
Designed
to provide an institutional framework for teaching
critical theory, the CTE is responsible for organizing
advanced theory seminars and for administering the
Emphasis program requirements.
An emphasis in Critical Theory, under the supervision
of the Critical Theory Committee, is available
for graduate students in all departments, including
M.A. and M.F.A. candidates.
Seminars
The CTE offers eight to ten advanced theory seminars
each year under the supervision of the CTE
Core Committee. Emphasis seminars (HUM270s) are
taught by UCI faculty specializing in critical theory
across a broad range of disciplines including African-American
Studies, Anthropology, Art History, Comparative
Literature, Drama, English, French and Itlalian,
History, Korean Culture, Media Studies, Women's
Studies, to name only some. In addition, CTE seminars
are regularly given by world-renowned scholars of
critical theory, including Etienne Balibar, who
comes to UCI as a visiting professor each year.
For further information, please see our course
pages.
CTE Workshop
The Critical Theory Emphasis Workshops (HUM260A,B,C)
are designed to bring together Emphasis graduate students
from all departments in a year-long discussion
forum. The 2004-05
workshop will
focus on the psychoanalytic theories. Students are
encouraged to take the workshop during their first
or second year of graduate work. Workshops often,
though not invariably, focus on the work of one major
modern thinker. Past workshops have focused on
Lacan and Deleuze. Recent CTE workshops include “Matter
and Materiality: Bataille and de Man” (2001-2002),
and “Postcolonial
Feminism” (1999-2000). For further information,
please see our courses
pages.
Mini-Seminars
The CTE sponsors two mini-seminars each year, given
by scholars from outside UCI who are invited to
present
their
works-in-progress
in a series
of three seminar meetings within a one- to two-week
period.
Mini-seminar lecturers have included Lisa Cartwright,
Barbara
Johnson, Page
duBois, John Frow, Katherine Hayles, Judith Butler,
David Lloyd, Giorgio Agamben,
Slavoj Zizek, Nancy Squire,
Hernan Vidal, Lauren Berlant, Alain Badiou, and
Hortense Spillers.
Lectures
Every year the CTE holds its Koehn
Endowed Lecture in
Critical
Theory (generously supported by Dr. Michael Koehn), featuring a prominant
critical
theory
scholar
such
as
Ernesto
Laclau, J.
Hillis
Miller,
and Naoki Sakai.
Numerous
other one-time lectures
are
regularly sponsored
by
the
CTE and by the Critical
Theory Institute, as well as by other UCI departments and programs.
See our Events pages
for upcoming mini-seminars and lectures in critical
theory.
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