New Historicism and Cultural Studies
New Historicism & Cultural Studies
Founding Figures
New Historicism:
- Louis Montrose
- Stephen Greenblatt
Cultural Materialism:
- Raymond Williams
Centre for Contemporary Culture Studies:
- Richard Hoggart (founder)
- Stuart Hall (director)
Key Concepts in New Historicism
Old Historicism vs. New Historicism
Old Historicism:
- Treats history as a stable, certain background for literature.
- Literature reflects historical context.
New Historicism:
- Challenges the idea of history as a set of secure facts.
- Sees history as complex and uncertain, influenced by interpretation.
- Reads history and literature together, each shaping the other.
- Emphasizes the multiplicity and nuance in historical narratives.
The Circulation of Social Energy
Literature arises from cultural controversies, engaging in a continuous cycle of exchange and influence with them.
The Reflection Model
Literature both reflects and rethinks the world, offering a nuanced perspective.
Presentism
Acknowledges that our understanding of the past is shaped by our present perspectives.
- Advocates for transparency about present interests when interpreting the past.
- Explores how the past can inform our understanding of the present.
Key Concepts in Cultural Studies
Foucault’s Model of Knowledge and Power
Traditional Model: Knowledge produces power (power suppresses, coerces).
Foucault’s Model: Power produces knowledge as discourse (power regulates, disciplines, polices, surveils). Power is internalized.
Discourse
A practice that produces what it purports to describe. Culturally internalized expectations, rather than pure or essential truth.
Example: Discourse of gender constructs expectations about femininity and masculinity through repetition.
Sexuality
Sexuality as a means of power and social regulation. Discourse of sexuality regulates and administers people’s lives.
- Power produces discourse rather than repressing it.
- Modern discourse constructs subjects as queer or straight, converting behavior into identity.
Cultural Materialism
Focuses on the relationship between culture and material conditions, particularly in the context of class and power.
Subcultures
Studies youth culture, immigrant culture, working-class culture, and other genres of popular culture.
- Examines how subcultures use popular culture to negotiate and resist dominant ideologies.
Conclusion
Historicist and cultural studies approaches provide tools for understanding the complex relationship between literature, history, and culture, allowing us to connect our chosen commitments with historical and cultural conflicts and changes.