Confronting Theory (Book)
The Psychology of Cultural Studies
Confronting Theory presents a critique of what has come to be known as theory in cross-disciplinary humanities education. Rather than dismissing theory writing as pretentious and abstract, Confronting Theory examines its principal concepts from the perspective of academic psychology and shows that although many of these analyses sound like revolutionary psychological theory, few, if any, have empirical implications that students can evaluate. By considering the educational implications of cultural theory, Confronting Theory will empower students with arguments, not just opinions, about the increasingly idealist and irrelevant anti-realist curricula they confront in their humanities education in today’s universities.
Edition
Confronting Theory presents a methodological (philosophical) and educational evaluation and critique of what has come to be known as Theory (‘with a capital-T’) in cross-disciplinary humanities education. Rather than merely dismissing Theory writing as risibly pretentious and abstract, Confronting Theory examines its principal concepts from the perspective of academic psychology and shows that, although ‘Theory that only dogs can hear’ may sound like revolutionary psychological analysis it is frequently incoherent and/or has few, if any, empirical implications that students can evaluate.
Philip Bell has published several books on television and media culture and more than sixty research monographs, journal articles and book chapters on the representation of social issues in the media, globalization and genres of film and television.
Cultural Studies and Capital-T Theory
What is Theory About?
Different Things
Theory, People and ‘Subjects’
‘Post-Human’ Theory and Cultural Studies
Affecting Ontologies
Real experience, Un-real Science
Theory and Education