Critical Theory

MA Critical Theory gives you the opportunity to explore the provocations of various waves of critical theory in relation to culture. You will examine a multitude of critical theoretical approaches - with an emphasis on the contributions of the German critical tradition from Kant through Marx to the Frankfurt School, and all those thinkers following in its wake.

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Degree

MA (Hons) Critical Theory

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Start Dates

October

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Overview Why Study Discover University

Degree Overview

You will also consider the crossings of politics and aesthetics and theory’s acknowledgement of, and resistance to, social injustice.

Culture is understood here in its broadest sense, and you will explore it in relation to contestations around topics such as:

– science and technology
– materialism
– ecological crisis
– migrancy
– global and planetary forms
– sexuality
– gender

You will consider how the insights and analyses of twentieth- and twenty-first-century critique relate to numerous forms, including literature, print culture, painting, film, photography, music and digital formats such as touchscreens, gaming or virtual environments. You will gain confidence in your ability to use constructive, explorative dialogue and debate to seek answers to complex questions.

This MA Critical Theory offers you a selection of option modules which allow you to focus more specifically on such questions raised within the compulsory modules. These option modules also give you the chance to think across a wide range of cognate subjects and build up areas of expertise.

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Important

You may incur additional costs in the course of your education at the university over and above tuition fees in an academic year such as laptops, stationary and additional resources.

Why Study this Degree

Birkbeck was ranked 2nd in the UK for its English Language and Literature research in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.

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Critical Theory

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