CULTURAL STUDIES

Scope & Guideline

Inspiring Inquiry into Cultural Dynamics

Introduction

Welcome to the CULTURAL STUDIES information hub, where our guidelines provide a wealth of knowledge about the journal’s focus and academic contributions. This page includes an extensive look at the aims and scope of CULTURAL STUDIES, highlighting trending and emerging areas of study. We also examine declining topics to offer insight into academic interest shifts. Our curated list of highly cited topics and recent publications is part of our effort to guide scholars, using these guidelines to stay ahead in their research endeavors.
LanguageEnglish
ISSN0950-2386
PublisherROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
Support Open AccessNo
CountryUnited Kingdom
TypeJournal
Convergefrom 1987 to 1996, from 1998 to 2001, from 2003 to 2024
AbbreviationCULT STUD / Cult. Stud.
Frequency6 issues/year
Time To First Decision-
Time To Acceptance-
Acceptance Rate-
Home Page-
Address2-4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND

Aims and Scopes

CULTURAL STUDIES engages with a diverse range of topics that intersect culture, politics, and society. The journal aims to explore the complexities of cultural phenomena through critical theoretical frameworks, emphasizing the interplay between social structures, power dynamics, and cultural practices.
  1. Interdisciplinary Approaches:
    The journal embraces an interdisciplinary perspective, integrating insights from sociology, anthropology, media studies, and cultural theory to analyze cultural practices and phenomena.
  2. Critical Examination of Power Structures:
    CULTURAL STUDIES consistently focuses on the ways in which culture interacts with power, exploring topics such as colonialism, race, gender, and class dynamics in various contexts.
  3. Global Perspectives:
    The journal highlights cultural studies from a global viewpoint, showcasing research that addresses issues pertinent to different geographical and sociopolitical contexts.
  4. Cultural Memory and Heritage:
    A significant focus is on cultural memory, heritage, and the politics of representation, examining how histories are constructed and contested in contemporary societies.
  5. Media and Technology Critique:
    There is a strong emphasis on the role of media and technology in shaping cultural discourses, including the impact of digital platforms, surveillance, and algorithmic governance on everyday life.
  6. Social Movements and Activism:
    The journal often explores cultural expressions linked to social movements, activism, and resistance, analyzing how cultural practices can challenge or reproduce societal norms.
CULTURAL STUDIES has seen the emergence of several trending themes that reflect current societal concerns and scholarly interests. These themes highlight the journal's responsiveness to contemporary issues and the evolving landscape of cultural studies.
  1. Cultural Responses to COVID-19:
    The pandemic has generated a significant body of work examining cultural responses to COVID-19, including the politics of health, biopolitics, and the impact of social distancing on cultural practices.
  2. Race and Intersectionality:
    A growing emphasis on intersectionality, particularly regarding race, gender, and sexuality, is evident, as researchers explore how these identities intersect within cultural contexts.
  3. Digital Cultures and Technologies:
    There is an increasing focus on the implications of digital technologies on culture, including discussions around algorithmic governance, online activism, and the cultural politics of social media.
  4. Decolonization and Postcolonial Studies:
    Emerging themes related to decolonization and postcolonial critique are gaining traction, reflecting a broader academic interest in understanding cultural dynamics in formerly colonized regions.
  5. Nostalgia and Memory Studies:
    Themes surrounding nostalgia, memory, and cultural heritage are trending, with researchers investigating how collective memories shape identities and cultural practices in contemporary settings.
  6. Environmental and Ecocritical Studies:
    Cultural studies are increasingly addressing environmental issues, exploring how culture engages with ecological crises and the politics of sustainability.

Declining or Waning

While CULTURAL STUDIES has maintained a broad and evolving focus, certain themes have shown signs of declining prominence in recent publications. This may reflect shifting interests within the field or broader societal changes.
  1. Traditional Media Studies:
    There seems to be a waning interest in traditional media studies, particularly those focused solely on print and broadcast media, as the journal's recent issues lean more towards digital media and its implications.
  2. Eurocentric Perspectives:
    Themes that center predominantly on Eurocentric cultural studies have become less frequent, indicating a shift towards more inclusive global perspectives that prioritize voices and experiences from non-Western contexts.
  3. Historical Cultural Studies:
    Research that strictly adheres to historical cultural analysis without connecting to contemporary issues is appearing less often, as the journal increasingly prioritizes the relevance of cultural studies to current social and political challenges.
  4. Static Cultural Critiques:
    There is a noticeable decrease in papers that offer static critiques of culture without engaging with dynamic processes of change, reflecting a move towards analyses that consider cultural practices as fluid and evolving.

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