ThA: CS-1 - Cultural Studies, Media, Power, and the Truly Educated Person

ThA: CS-1 - Cultural Studies, Media, Power, and the Truly Educated Person

This blog is thinking activity task assigned by Professor Dr. Dilip Barad Sir in which I am going to describe my own point of views.

First let's start with Power

What is power?

- ability to do or act; capability of doing or accomplishing something.

- In one word Capacity

- In cultural studies, power refers to the ability to influence or control the behavior, beliefs, and values within a society. It is not just about direct political or economic control but extends to more subtle forms of social control through culture, ideology, and representation. Cultural studies examine how power operates through institutions like media, education, and popular culture, shaping our understanding of identity, race, gender, class, and nationhood.

Thinkers like Michel Foucault emphasized that power is not just repressive but also productive—it shapes knowledge, discourse, and how people view the world. Power in cultural studies is often diffuse and decentralized, operating through societal norms, language, and cultural practices. It also ties into issues of resistance, as groups can challenge or negotiate these power dynamics through countercultures, alternative media, or political activism.

This concept of power helps to understand how dominant ideologies perpetuate inequalities and how marginalized groups can resist or subvert these structures.