Welcome to the Unit for Criticism

Since 1981, the Unit has been at the forefront of scholarly discussion and debate about topics such as poststructuralism, cultural studies, Marxism, feminism, postcolonial theory, and the politics of disciplinarity and knowledge production. Drawing upon the expertise and resources of twenty-six humanities, social sciences, and performing arts departments, the Unit for Criticism promotes a broad range of teaching, research, and related scholarly activities. Through a variety of programs—including regular criticism seminars, colloquia and roundtables; visits to campus by distinguished scholars from other universities; agenda-setting conferences; designated courses; writing groups; and our weblog Kritik—the Unit provides students and faculty with interdisciplinary vantage points for their teaching and research. Books derived from Unit conferences, such as Marxism and the Interpretation of Culture and Cultural Studies, have become landmarks of critical discourse in the academy.