ABSTRACT
The chapter provides a framework for engaging in a hard-edged critique (or “kritik” in German) of society, culture, business, government, and the world. The chapter details how to engage in critique from both a Marxist and a postmodern perspective. Everyday language may consider “criticism” as a negative judgment, but not all criticism is negative. A Marxist critic is engaging in extrinsic criticism. For such critics the warrant for “good criticism” is its utility. Extrinsic criticism considers texts and artifacts in relation to a normative standard. The normative standards are trans-historical and trans-cultural principles by which a communication practice can be judged. Postmodern critics are likely to engage in intrinsic criticism. A text, a discourse, has its own logic and organization. The postmodern critic looks for contradictions, dilemmas, and paradoxes which destabilize meanings and invites new interpretations of a text. The chapter guides the process for conducting a critical/cultural study. The chapter explains the critical-cultural method, discusses various approaches, and explains how to conduct a critical/cultural study.
