Cultural critique is an analytical approach that examines and evaluates cultural practices, beliefs, and artifacts. It seeks to understand how culture shapes societal values and individual identities, often highlighting issues of power, inequality, and ideology. By analyzing literature, art, media, and everyday practices, cultural critique aims to reveal underlying assumptions and challenge dominant narratives.
This method is often associated with various fields, including sociology, literary theory, and philosophy. Prominent figures in cultural critique include Theodor Adorno and Michel Foucault, who explored how culture influences social structures and individual behavior. Ultimately, cultural critique encourages critical thinking about the world we inhabit.