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Culture, Art and Power

Code 13012
Year 1
Semester S1
ECTS Credits 6
Workload OT(15H)/TP(45H)
Scientific area Cultura
Entry requirements Not applicable.
Mode of delivery Face-to-face.
Learning outcomes 1. Be able to develop long, reasoned arguments about the topics taught;
2. Define, problematize, and relate the various concepts studied;
3. Characterize Culture and Art as fields of conflict and tensions, from their theoretical-conceptual notions to the plurality of their manifestations;
4. Recognize and consider the impact of power dynamics on cultural and artistic production;
5. Be able to analyze, frame, and contextualize cultural and artistic signs (images, texts, sounds, performances, etc.);
6. Recognize and contextualize artistic and cultural movements in relation to their main agents.
Syllabus 1. Definition and problematization of the concepts of Culture, Art, and Power and their articulation:
1.1. Culture: complexities, historicity, and political nature of the notions of popular culture, high culture, mass culture, marginal cultures, counterculture, cultural studies, and cultural sciences;
1.2. Art: complexities, historicity, and political nature of the notions of fine art, mass art, artistic activism, regime art, avant-garde art;
1.3. Power: complexities and theoretical framework of the main approaches to the notion of power;
2. The political uses and misuses of Art and Culture: subjection vs. emancipation, alienation vs. enlightenment, domination vs. recognition; public policies vs. market policies;
3. The relationship between Image, Humor, and Power;
4. Art, Culture, and Globalization: center and peripheries, homogenization, assimilation, miscegenation, and resistance;
5. Art, Culture, and Power: artistic-cultural paradigms; from the art of savoir faire to the era of tec
Main Bibliography • André, J. M. (2012). Multiculturalidade, Identidades e Mestiçagem. O Diálogo Intercultural nas Ideias, na Política, nas Artes e na Religião. Coimbra, Palimage.
• Barker, C. (2008). Cultural Studies. Theory and Practice. Los Angeles, Sage.
• Bergson, H. (1993). O Riso. Ensaio sobre o Significado do Cómico. Lisboa, Guimarães Editora.
• Bourdieu, P. (1989). O poder simbólico. Lisboa, Difel.
• Canclini, N. G. (2008). Culturas híbridas. Estratégias para entrar e sair da modernidade. São Paulo, EDUSP.
• Carroll, N. (2014) . Humour. A Very Short Introduction. Oxford, Oxford UP.
• Freud, S. (1927). “Humour” in The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud. Volume XXI. Londres, The Hogarth Press, 159-166.
• Maalouf, A. (2002). As identidades Assassinas. Lisboa, Difel.
• Mc Robbie, A. (2005). The Uses of Cultural Studies. A Textbook. London, Sage.
• Williams, R. (1958). A cultura é de todos (Culture is ordinary). Trad. Maria Elisa Cevasco (USP).
• Williams, R. (198
Teaching Methodologies and Assessment Criteria Given the interdisciplinary and theoretical nature of the course, there will be sessions for introduction, presentation, and discussion of topics, based on commentary, analysis, and debate of an artistic and theoretical corpus (texts, images, sounds, videos, films). All these working materials will be indicated and made available on Moodle. Assessment will be continuous and based on the method of Direct Global Observation (DGO). Students must complete a written paper, between 10 and 15 pages, whose topic must be chosen by them but aligned with the course content, and previously communicated to the lecturer, who will approve or reject it. The proposal for the paper’s topic must be sent to the lecturer’s email by September 29, 2025. In addition to the written component, the paper will be subject to an oral defense (10 minutes per student). Assessment percentages: 90% final paper (60% written + 30% oral defense); 10% classroom performance (interventions and active participation). The writ
Language Portuguese. Tutorial support is available in English.
Last updated on: 2025-10-10

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