Social, Cultural, and Critical Theory
Established by the Arizona Board of Regents: PhD minor 2017, Graduate Certificate 2019
The program in Social, Cultural, and Critical Theory offers an interdisciplinary curriculum committed to exploring theoretical currents that cut across the humanities, arts, social sciences, law, education, architecture, and the natural sciences. Both the Ph.D. minor and the graduate certificate (intended for graduate students in non-Ph.D. programs) train students in important twentieth-century theoretical traditions that have had an impact across multiple disciplines, such as postmodernism, phenomenology, postcolonial studies, historical materialism, cultural studies, critical legal studies, the Frankfurt School, psychoanalysis, race, gender, and queer theory. They also encourage exploration of—and cultivate future contributors to—new movements and directions in social, cultural, and critical theory such as actor-network theory, affect theory, anthropocene studies, biopolitics, critical area studies, border theory, critical finance studies, critical science studies, mediated geographies, new materialisms, object-oriented ontology, posthumanism, post-secular theory, race critical theory, somatechnics, trans theory, and game studies, among others.
Program Contacts
Program Address
Matthew Abraham
English
Abraham Acosta
Spanish and Portuguese
Damian Baca
English
Keiron Bailey
Educational Policy Studies and Practice
Jeffrey Banister
Southwest Studies Center
Jacqueline Barrios
Public & Applied Humanities
Stefano Bloch
School of Geography & Development
Susan Briante
English
Carol Brochin
Teaching Learning & Sociocultural Studies
Catherine Brooks
School of Information
Stephanie Brown, Vice-Chair (2023-2026)
English
Kevin Byrne
School of Theatre Film & Television
Larry Busbea
Art History
Maritza Cardenas
English
Nolan Cabrera
Educational Policy Studies & Practice
Monica Casper
Gender & Women's Studies
Christopher Cokinos
English
Jonathan Jae-an Crisman
Public & Applied Humanities
Jennifer Croissant
Gender & Women's Studies
Cindy Cruz
Teaching and Teacher Education
Andrew Curley
School of Geography, Development & Environment
Rae Erin Dachille
Religious Studies and Classics
Vincent Del Casino
School of Geography & Development
Melissa Fitch
Spanish and Portuguese
Francisco Galarte
Gender & Women Studies
Andrea Gerlak
Geography and Development
Johsua Gleich
School of Theatre/Film and Television
Reid Gomez, Executive Committee (2024-2026)
Gender and Womens Studies
Lillian Gorman
Spanish and Portuguese
Stefanie Graeter, Executive Committee (2022-2025)
Latin American Studies
Faith Harden
Spanish and Portuguese
Eva Hayward
Gender and Women Studies
Anita Huizar-Hernandez
Spanish & Portuguese
Paul Hurh
English
Paul Ivey
School of Art
Joela Jacobs
German Studies
John P. Jones III
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Mark Thomas Kear
School of Geography & Development
Ryan Kashanipour
History
Amy Kimme Hea
English
Marcia Klotz
English
Barbara Kosta
German Studies
Janelle Lamoreaux
School of Anthropology
Eunice Lee, Executive Committee (2022-2025)
College of Law
Jamie Lee
School of Information
Jasmine Linabary
Department of Public & Applied Humanities
Zack Lischer-Katz
School of Information
Eithne Luibheid
Gender & Women's Studies
Chris Lukinbeal
School of Geography and Development
Maurice Magana
Mexican American Studies
Sallie Marston
Geography & Development
Farid Matuk
English
Reginald McGinnis
French and Italian
Janice McGregor
German Studies
Ellen McMahon
School of Art
Leerom Medovoi, Chair (2023-2026)
English
John Melillo, Executive Committee (2022-2025)
English
David M Mulcahy
School of Theatre/Film and Television
Matthew Mugmon
School of Music
Kaitlin Murphy, Executive Committee (2023-2026)
Spanish & Portuguese
Orhon Myadar
School of Geography and Development
Zachary Nicolazzo
Educational Policy Studies Practice
Leslye Amede Obiora
Law Instruction
Tracey Osborne
School of Geography and Development
Moira Ozias, Executive Committee (2023-2026)
Educational Policy Studies and Practice
Eric Plemons
School of Anthropology
Jennifer Post
School of Music
Tristan Reader
American Indian Studies
Hai Ren
East Asian Studies
Anna Reynolds Cooper
School of Theatre/Film and Television
Clare Robinson
Architecture
Judd Ruggill
Africana Studies
Lisa Schrenk
School of Architecture
Beverly Seckinger
School of Theatre, Film and Television
Scott Selisker
English
Marcos Serafim, Executive Committee (2024-2026)
School of Art
Brian Silverstein
Anthropology
William Simmons
Gender & Women's Studies
Johanna Skibsrud
English
Sandra Sota
Gender and Women's Studies
Max Strassfeld
Religious Studies & Classics
Daniel Sullivan
Psychology
Chantelle Warner
German Studies
Beth Weinstein, Executive Committee (2023-2026)
School of Architecture
Ania Wroblewski
French and Italian
Lynda Zwinger
English
Social, Cultural, and Critical Theory Program Bylaws
SOCIAL, CULTURAL AND CRITICAL THEORY GIDP
BYLAWS
approved at 4-12-17 Faculty Meeting
PREAMBLE
Graduate Interdisciplinary Programs (GIDPs) report to the Dean of the Graduate College through the Faculty Director of GIDPs.
The Graduate Interdisciplinary Program (GIDP) in Social, Cultural and Critical Theory offers a Ph.D. minor. In the following Articles and Bylaws, operating procedures, and policies of the Program are outlined. This organization and structure must conform to the guidelines for GIDPs.
Article 1. Membership in the Graduate Program.
Membership in the Graduate Interdisciplinary Program in Social, Cultural and Critical Theory is open to faculty at the University of Arizona who are willing to make a commitment to the GIDP. This commitment should be expressed through participation in developing and maintaining the GIDP, teaching courses, or supporting the programming for the GIDP. Both tenured or tenure-eligible faculty and untenured or non-tenure-eligible faculty may hold memberships.
Criteria for membership are a commitment to interdisciplinary approaches as well as activity and excellence in research or extension as demonstrated by research funding, publication record and service as advisors to students. Members of the Graduate Interdisciplinary Program will be reviewed periodically by the Executive Committee to ensure that they continue to meet these standards.
Membership can be proposed by candidates themselves or through nomination by a current member of the Program. Consideration of candidacy is initiated by submission of curriculum vitae and a letter of commitment to the Executive Committee. If the Executive Committee votes to recommend membership, a request is then submitted to the Faculty Director of Graduate Interdisciplinary Programs for approval and appointment.
The members of the Social, Cultural and Critical Theory GIDP will meet at least once a year to review the state of the program.
Article 2. Executive Committee (EC), Chair and Vice Chair of the Graduate Interdisciplinary Program in Social, Cultural and Critical Theory.
The GIDP in Social, Cultural and Critical Theory is administered by a Chair, Vice Chair and an Executive Committee (EC), consisting of at least six members. The Executive Committee will be made up of faculty members from at least three colleges, ideally with members from all participating colleges. The Chair and Vice Chair are appointed for a renewable three-year term and EC members are appointed for renewable three-year terms. The Chair, Vice Chair and the EC members will be chosen by vote by participating faculty that hold regular memberships. Nominations from participating faculty for both positions will be received by the EC. A faculty member may run for one or both positions. Fifty-one percent of the members will constitute a quorum. Majority vote of those present at a meeting or 51% return of ballots will rule. The roster of elected members will be forwarded to the Director of Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs for approval and appointment. The EC will also have 1 student member elected by the students to a renewable 1 year term.
A) The responsibilities of the Executive Committee are to:
- Devise and implement procedures to be followed in selecting and reviewing members of the Social, Cultural and Critical Theory GIDP;
- Devise and implement appropriate policies and procedures for the operation of the graduate program, such as admissions, curriculum, student supervision, completion of degree program requirements, and decisions regarding program resources;
- Appoint ad hoc committees as needed for effective operation;
- Provide academic counsel to new students and evaluations of students at various stages of progress through the Program;
- Prepare and submit annual reports of the Social, Cultural and Critical Theory program’s activities and accomplishments to the Faculty Director of Graduate Interdisciplinary Programs;
- Ensure that regular academic program reviews, consistent with the Board of Regents and USDA requirements, are carried out;
- Facilitate interaction and communication within the Program in Social, Cultural and Critical Theory and with supporting academic units heads and deans;
- Seek funding from appropriate University, State, Federal and private sources;
- Solicit nominations to vacated slot(s) on the Executive Committee to ensure continuity over time.
- Move consider and approve (by majority vote) all proposals to change the requirement for the minor
B) The responsibilities of the Chair and Vice Chair of the Executive Committee (and of the GIDP).
- Administer the Program and activities of the EC with the assistance of the program coordinator of the GIDP;
- Convene and chair meetings of the EC;
- Acts on behalf of the EC and the GIDP to implement policies of the Program;
- Serve as representative of the Program to the University Administration, granting agencies, prospective students, etc.;
- Prepare and submit an annual report of activities and accomplishments of the Program according to University regulations.
The GIDP’s Program Coordinator works closely with the Chair of the EC as well as the students, faculty, EC and standing committees to ensure timely fulfillment of the policies of the UA and the Program in Social, Cultural and Critical Theory as well as the flow of information among all concerned.
Article 3. Amendments.
The bylaws shall be amended or revised by movement of the EC and a two-thirds positive vote by the regular membership of the Program.