Centre for the Study of Culture and Society

Arts Education
2003-2004

Grant Period: Over two years

The Centre for the Study of Culture and Society was established in 1996 by a group of scholars. This interest has been energised by the sense that the social sciences and humanities disciplines as they exist are no longer adequate to the task of engaging seriously with the problems of our time.

In October 2001, IFA made a grant to CSCS to enable the Centre to design and develop its Educational Initiatives Programme.  Over two years, the EIP offered eight full courses and nine workshops in collaboration with major educational institutions, including Christ College and Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology, Bangalore.

A significant outcome of this grant was the expansion and transformation of the existing online CSCS Media Archive. In addition to being a source of information for researchers, this digital platform is now an archive on innovative curriculum, and reports and papers on education. It hold downloadable teaching modules and course packages, and houses visual, print and other material related to the research projects of CSCS faculty and students.

Additionally, in association with the Kuvempu University Press (or other interested independent publishers), CSCS plans to publish new books in Kannada (and in English) focusing on cultural studies syllabi. CSCS made this process interactive by producing interim e-versions of the texts on CD-ROM, inviting comment and critique from faculty in collaborating institutions.

Finally, CSCS made a concerted effort to build productive networks for researchers in the field of cultural studies. The first workshop that CSCS organised, on Curriculum Development, brought together teachers and educators who have designed innovative curricula or experimented with pedagogical practices. The second workshop organised by the PhD students of CSCS, with the participation of their peers from other institutions in the country, discussed research topics and researchers’ dilemmas in terms of disciplinary constraints and research methodology. These workshops provided a forum for addressing conceptual, methodological, pedagogical and disciplinary questions emerging from the experiences of those conducting research in cultural studies.