2007 Handbooks

This unit investigates a number of sites of cultural performance, social spaces where it may be said that culture is being performed or is performative. It aims to give an introduction to performance theory both as developed for 'formal' performance and for the performance of everyday life and to investigate performativity as a theoretical model in cultural studies. The unit will also consider aspects of audience and reception as performance especially investigating theories of the active audience. Specific topics will include for instance: the radical in performance; performance theory and critical theory; intercultural performance; Australian multicultural performance; performing ethnicity; tourism as performance; gender and/as performance; habitus and the everyday theories of performance; leadership as performance; theories of the 'active audience' and 'semiotic democracy'; 'reading formations' and 'regimes of value'.