The Culture Industry: An Introduction to Critical Theory [Durham, NC]

from $25.00

**This course is in-person only. There is no virtual component. Participants must be age 21+

Full Tuition: $140 — Sliding-scale tuition options are available in the drop-down enrollment menu for you to self-select. To pay in installments, choose PayPal or Klarna at check out.

How do consumer culture and mass media affect our psyches? The Frankfurt School—founders of modern Critical Theory—argued that in a world dominated by “the culture industry,” we see everything around us, including ideas, people and relationships, as commodities to be bought and sold. In this two-week class, we’ll read and discuss the landmark essay, “The Culture Industry: Enlightenment as Mass Deception” by Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer, supplemented by additional insights from other key Frankfurt School thinkers such as Walter Benjamin and Herbert Marcuse. Together we’ll ask: Can we enjoy cultural objects–books, films, TV, and music–outside of consumer culture? Are we doomed to self-deception, or can we imagine a communal future for ourselves and our cultural objects?

Week 1: Theodore Adorno and Max Horkheimer, “The Culture Industry: Enlightenment as Mass Deception” (1944)

Week 2: Additional short excerpts by Benjamin, Marcuse, and Fredric Jameson will be provided.

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SLIDING SCALE TUITION

Full tuition is the cost per-student of running the class. If you choose a tier below full tuition, you are receiving a discount. If you choose to make a donation in addition to full tuition, you are helping to cover the cost for students who are not able to pay the full amount.

The mid-level tier is a discounted rate for people whose household income is at or above living wage but who have limited discretionary income.

The low-level tier and the full-scholarship tier are for people whose household income is below living wage or who need extra assistance to meet their needs.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Through our fundraising efforts, we are able to offer three full scholarships per class. The full-scholarship tier is a nonrefundable offering. Each student may only take one full-scholarship class at a time. Because our scholarship funding is limited, if a student selects multiple overlapping classes at the full-scholarship level, they will be disenrolled from all classes.

All sliding-scale and scholarship needs are self-assessed, and we will never request or require proof of need.

Please see our FAQ for more information, including installment plans, refund policy, and sick and inclement weather policy.

Sliding-Scale Tuition:

**This course is in-person only. There is no virtual component. Participants must be age 21+

Full Tuition: $140 — Sliding-scale tuition options are available in the drop-down enrollment menu for you to self-select. To pay in installments, choose PayPal or Klarna at check out.

How do consumer culture and mass media affect our psyches? The Frankfurt School—founders of modern Critical Theory—argued that in a world dominated by “the culture industry,” we see everything around us, including ideas, people and relationships, as commodities to be bought and sold. In this two-week class, we’ll read and discuss the landmark essay, “The Culture Industry: Enlightenment as Mass Deception” by Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer, supplemented by additional insights from other key Frankfurt School thinkers such as Walter Benjamin and Herbert Marcuse. Together we’ll ask: Can we enjoy cultural objects–books, films, TV, and music–outside of consumer culture? Are we doomed to self-deception, or can we imagine a communal future for ourselves and our cultural objects?

Week 1: Theodore Adorno and Max Horkheimer, “The Culture Industry: Enlightenment as Mass Deception” (1944)

Week 2: Additional short excerpts by Benjamin, Marcuse, and Fredric Jameson will be provided.

—

SLIDING SCALE TUITION

Full tuition is the cost per-student of running the class. If you choose a tier below full tuition, you are receiving a discount. If you choose to make a donation in addition to full tuition, you are helping to cover the cost for students who are not able to pay the full amount.

The mid-level tier is a discounted rate for people whose household income is at or above living wage but who have limited discretionary income.

The low-level tier and the full-scholarship tier are for people whose household income is below living wage or who need extra assistance to meet their needs.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Through our fundraising efforts, we are able to offer three full scholarships per class. The full-scholarship tier is a nonrefundable offering. Each student may only take one full-scholarship class at a time. Because our scholarship funding is limited, if a student selects multiple overlapping classes at the full-scholarship level, they will be disenrolled from all classes.

All sliding-scale and scholarship needs are self-assessed, and we will never request or require proof of need.

Please see our FAQ for more information, including installment plans, refund policy, and sick and inclement weather policy.