UGC NET English June 2025: Solved Cultural Studies Questions

Question 1

Who is of the opinion that the concept of "ideology" is "the most important conceptual category in cultural studies"?

1. James Carry

2. Graeme Turner

3. Raymond Williams

4. Pavarotti

Answer

2. Graeme Turner

Explanation

Graeme Turner, a prominent figure in Cultural Studies, made this definitive claim, notably in his book British Cultural Studies: An Introduction. He positions ideology (the systems of meaning that shape power and reality) as the foundational and most crucial analytical tool for the field, drawing heavily from Marxist and structuralist traditions.

Question 2

Who has coined the phrase "Bricolage"?

1. Claude Lévi-Strauss

2. Raymond Williams

3. Martin Heidegger

4. Michel Foucault

Answer

1. Claude Lévi-Strauss

Explanation

The term bricolage was coined by the French anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss in The Savage Mind (1962). It describes the way mythical thought and cultural creation reassemble and reuse available, pre-existing cultural materials or signs. The concept was later widely adopted in cultural studies (e.g., in analyzing subculture style).

Question 3

Who has coined the term "Onto-Theology"?

1. Jacques Derrida

2. Felix Guattari

3. Gilles Deleuze

4. Ben Johnson

Answer

1. Jacques Derrida

Explanation

The term Onto-Theology (a critique of Western metaphysics for reducing Being to a single foundational source like God) was coined and popularized by Jacques Derrida. He used it in his deconstruction of logocentrism, building upon critiques originally made by Martin Heidegger.

Question 4

Who has designed "Panopticon" and used the term as "a new mode of obtaining power of mind over mind"?

1. Antony Easthope

2. Jeremy Bentham

3. Alan Sheridan

4. Madan Sarup

Answer

2. Jeremy Bentham

Explanation

The Panopticon architectural design (a structure allowing a single watchman to observe all inmates without being seen) was created by the English philosopher Jeremy Bentham in the late 18th century. He defined it as a mechanism for self-regulation through the possibility of constant surveillance.

Question 5

Name the theory which assumes that "culture is not separate from nature, and that there is no hierarchy of actants such that the human is more privileged".

1. Actor Network Theory

2. Posthumanism

3. Cultural Materialism

4. Adaptation Theory

Answer

1. Actor Network Theory

Explanation

Actor Network Theory (ANT), primarily developed by Bruno Latour, advocates for a flat ontology where human and non-human entities ("actants") are treated as equally crucial in forming social and cultural networks. It explicitly rejects the nature/culture dualism and human exceptionalism.

Question 6

Arrange the following works of John Storey in their chronological order of publication:

A. Inventing Popular Culture: From Folklore to Globalisation
B. Cultural Theory and Popular Culture: An Introduction
C. What is Cultural Studies: A Reader
D. Cultural Consumption and Everyday Life
E. Culture and Power in Cultural Studies: The Politics of Signification

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

1. B, C, D, A, E

2. C, A, E, B, D

3. E, D, A, C, B

4. E, A, C, B, D

Answer

1. B, C, D, A, E

Explanation

The correct chronological order by publication year is:

B. Cultural Theory and Popular Culture: An Introduction (1993): Foundational introductory text.

C. What is Cultural Studies: A Reader (1996): Anthology compiling key theoretical essays.

D. Cultural Consumption and Everyday Life (1999): Focuses on consumer practices and power.

A. Inventing Popular Culture: From Folklore to Globalisation (2003): Historical overview of the concept of "popular culture."

E. Culture and Power in Cultural Studies: The Politics of Signification (2010): Advanced work on ideology and signification politics.

Question 7

For Arnold, Culture is:

A. the ability to know what is best;
B. the ability to know what is worst
C. the mental and spiritual application of what is best
D. the pursuit of what is best
E. the pursuit of what is worst

Choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:

1. A, C and E Only

2. B, C and E Only

3. B, C and D Only

4. A, C and D only

Answer

4. A, C and D only

Explanation

Matthew Arnold, in Culture and Anarchy, defines culture as the active pursuit and application of human perfection. This involves:

A. The ability to know what is best (recognizing the "best that has been thought and said").

C. The mental and spiritual application of what is best (internalizing and applying this knowledge).

D. The pursuit of what is best (a continuous, active striving for perfection).

Statements B and E (involving "worst") contradict Arnold's idealistic and humanistic vision of culture.

Question 8

Which of the following critics are associated with Frankfurt School of German Intellectuals:

A. Walter Benjamin
B. Laura Mulvey
C. Travis Henderson
D. Max Horkheimer
E. Leo Lowenthal

Choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:

1. A, D and E Only

2. C, D and E Only

3. B, C and D Only

4. A, C and E Only

Answer

1. A, D and E Only

Explanation

The Frankfurt School was the home of Critical Theory, combining Marxism and cultural critique. The core associated critics listed are:

A. Walter Benjamin: Known for works on aura, mechanical reproduction, and cultural history.

D. Max Horkheimer: A founding theorist, known for co-authoring Dialectic of Enlightenment.

E. Leo Lowenthal: Known for his work on mass culture and popular literature.

Laura Mulvey is a feminist film theorist, and Travis Henderson is not a recognized literary critic.