What is Cultural Materialism? Definition, History, and Examples

In this episode we explore Cultural Materialism as a movement in literary criticism and cultural studies, focusing on its history, the way it theorizes cultural texts, and its relationship to Marxist literary criticism and Liberal Humanism. We conclude with an example of how you can use cultural materialism yourself to explore and study film adaptations of Shakespeare's plays.
The host, Dr. Alexander K. Smith, holds an MA from Oxford University and a PhD in the Anthropology of Tibet and the Himalayas from the University of Paris, France.
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Works Cited:
Belsey, C. 1985. The Subject of Tragedy: Identity and Difference in Renaissance Drama. London: Methuen.
Dollimore, Jonathan and Sinfield, Alan. 1985. Political Shakespeare: Essays in Cultural Materialism. Manchester: Manchester University Press.
Drakakis, John (ed). 1985. Alternative Shakespeares. London : Methuen.
Sinfield, Alan. 1992. "Theatres of War: Caesar and the Vandals" in Sinfield, A. Faultlines: Cultural Materialism and the Politics of Dissident Reading. Clarendon : Oxford, pp. 1-28.
Parvini, Neema. 2012. Shakespeare and contemporary Theory: New Historicism and Cultural Materialism. Bloomsbury: London.
Williams, Raymond. 1973. "Base and superstructure in Marxist cultural theory" in New Left Review, (I)82.
Williams, Raymond. 1977. Marxism and Literature. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Williams, Raymond. 1980. Problems in Materialism and Culture: Selected Essays. London: New Left Books.
Williams, Raymond. 1980. Culture and Materialism: Selected Essays. Verso: London and New York.
Žižek, Slavoj. 2001. The Fright of Real Tears: Krzysztof Kieslowiski Between Theory and Post-Theory. London: BFI.
Endnotes:
[1] Two points here. First, I accidentally misspoke: The publication in question is actually from 1973, not 1976! (See: Williams, Raymond. 1973. "Base and superstructure in Marxist cultural theory" in New Left Review, [I]82). More importantly, though, I should note that Raymond Williams did not coin the term cultural materialism itself -- he adapted it from the anthropologist Marvin Harris's 1968 book "The Rise of Anthropological Theory".
0:00 Introduction
0:56 Overview of Concept and History
2:09 The Roles of Historicism and Ideological Analysis
6:32 Liberal Humanism and Marxist Literary Criticism
9:47 Structures of Feeling
10:57 Summary of Cultural Materialism's Method of Analysis
11:59 Using Cultural Materialism to Analyze Film Adaptations of Shakespeare
15:32 Major Criticisms of Cultural Materialism
17:46 Conclusion and Patreon Plug

[@ArmchairAcademics]

Corrections: 1:21 It’s important to note that Raymond Williams did not coin the term 'cultural materialism' itself. As far as I know, he adapted it from the anthropologist Marvin Harris’s 1968 book The Rise of Anthropological Theory. 1:24 "Base and superstructure in Marxist cultural theory" was published in 1973, not 1976 5:24 I definitely mispronounce the name Alan Sinfield here...

[@zoejones3615]

I'm in grad school and cultural materialism has been hard for me. This helped A LOT, thank you!

[@ArmchairAcademics]

Thanks for posting, Zoe! Thrilled to hear that it helped. CM is a super interesting approach to literature, but the core texts themselves can be a serious mess. 100% a relatable problem. Best of luck with your studies!

[@ComradeHavik]

As an undergraduate in Sociocultural Anthropology & Ethnic Studies, I always appreciate the work you are doing here. It is not only wonderfully informative but, along with sources provided, also gives me the chance to explore at greater depth. Thank you!

[@ArmchairAcademics]

Thanks so much, ComeradeHavik! I really appreciate the kind words. It makes my day. Best of luck with your studies!

[@aclark903]

@@ArmchairAcademicsIt was great but I’m amazed you managed to avoid mentioning #WalterBenjamin, #GeorgLukács & #Gramsci. Was that by design? You classify them as Marxists rather than cultural materialists?

[@ccc93584]

honestly this video deserves a lot more views and acknowledgment, it's just so clear and understandable and GREATTTTT i

[@ArmchairAcademics]

Thanks so much @abrilmc9358 ! That makes my day.

[@pink5830]

Amazing video! Thank you so much ❤

[@abiravi846]

Tq sir I have taken the theory cultural materialism for my MA project and I don't know how to apply that after watching this video I got an idea

[@maxcasteel2141]

Super interesting video

[@ArmchairAcademics]

Very glad you found it interesting. Welcome aboard, Max!

[@theorytubetv]

Excellent, excited to see this channel grow!

[@ArmchairAcademics]

Thanks so much, T!PS! That makes my day 👍

[@mrmckaye]

Great episode and I loved the Mark-isms 😆

[@HB-zr5wh]

amazing, love you

[@amelmahmoud8221]

very useful thank you

[@ArmchairAcademics]

Glad it was helpful!

[@aghulus111]

Thank u so much

[@jezeldjones]

You way you pronounce “ideology” and “hegemony” sent me reeling!

[@ArmchairAcademics]

Thanks for posting, jezeldjones. You wouldn't be the first. I'm from the US, where that's not an atypical pronunciation of hegemony. I also did my PhD (and later lived and worked for nearly a decade) in France. From time to time, I find that francophone pronunciation still creeps into my English -- as it did here with 'ideology'.

[@larryparis925]

I must say as one who studied anthropology, and am viewing a presentation by someone with a background in anthropology, that I was expecting a more relevant version as extensively presented by Marvin Harris. Well, talk about what you like, but this episode on a peripheral version of an unrelated concept of CM to anthropology was misleading to those of us with a background in the field. Not good. But, it's your channel, talk about whatever you like. Even if...

[@ArmchairAcademics]

Thanks for posting, Larryparis. There are two parallel movements called 'cultural materialism'. One, in anthropology, associated with Marvin Harris, as you pointed out, and the other in cultural studies and literature, associated with the Welsh author Raymond Williams. The latter of the two is often associated with critical readings of Shakespeare -- hence the thumbnail. As far as I know, Williams actually adopted the term from Marvin Harris's work, which also adds to the potential confusion. Our video is, I think, a well-balanced and succinct representation the movement in cultural studies and literature; however, if you came here for a run-down of Marvin Harris, I can completely understand the disappointment. Edit: I'll see about amending the title of the video so that we can make it more evident that we are discussing cultural studies and not, in this case, a theoretical movement in anthropology.

[@larryparis925]

@@ArmchairAcademics Thank you for the clarification and kind reply. Much appreciated.

[@blackhawkedu1]

For me the responsible of materialism is the Protestant religion. The religion incluences us and the The Protestants religion preach that the only important thing in life is to make money and work hard. For me as a catholic there are more important things, such as family and love.

[@aclark903]

A little harsh. French culture, hardly Protestant, produced both #Voltaire & #Robespierre…

[@giowop58]

Pomo gibberish