Cultural Studies Terminology

noun a state of being bored; lack of interest or excitement

• Boredom can often lead to decreased productivity in the workplace.
• I always feel a sense of boredom when I have nothing to do on the weekends.
• I was so bored out of my mind during that lecture.
• Boredom is like a dark cloud that hovers over me when I have nothing to occupy my time.

noun a collection of various items or passages

adjective relating to or consisting of a collection of various items or passages

• The library's special collections department is responsible for managing the collectanea of rare books and manuscripts.
• I stumbled upon a box of old collectanea in my grandparents' attic.
• I love browsing through all the random collectanea at flea markets.
• Her mind was a collectanea of memories, each one carefully catalogued and preserved.

noun a piece of land owned by the community or the government, often used for recreational purposes

adjective belonging to or shared by the community as a whole

• The management of the commons requires careful planning and cooperation among stakeholders.
• Let's meet at the commons area for lunch.
• I heard there's a cool hangout spot at the commons.
• In the business world, networking is considered the commons where opportunities are shared.

noun the underlying system of beliefs, especially those dealing with supernatural forces, characteristic of a particular cultural group

• The study of ancient mythos is a fascinating field of research.
• I love reading about different mythos from around the world.
• Have you heard the latest gossip mythos going around?
• The company's brand mythos is built on a foundation of innovation and creativity.

noun the tendency to derive pleasure from inflicting pain, suffering, or humiliation on others

• The psychologist studied the case of the patient exhibiting sadism towards animals.
• I heard that guy has a weird sadism streak when it comes to pranks.
• That horror movie was full of sadism, it was too much for me.
• The dictator ruled with an iron fist and a sadism that knew no bounds.

noun the body of literature dealing with historical matters; histories collectively

• Historiography is the study of how history has been written and interpreted over time.
• I find historiography fascinating because it shows how historical events can be viewed in different ways.
• I never realized how much goes into historiography until I took that history class.
• Just like a painting, historiography can have different layers of interpretation depending on who is looking at it.

noun a strong interest or love for China, its people, history, language, or culture

• Sinophilia is the admiration or love for Chinese culture, language, or people.
• I developed Sinophilia after studying abroad in China for a year.
• I'm totally into Sinophilia - I can't get enough of Chinese movies and music!
• Her Sinophilia shines through in her collection of traditional Chinese art and artifacts.

noun the unauthorized adoption or use of the customs, practices, ideas, etc., of one people or society by members of another and typically more dominant people or society

• The issue of cultural appropriation has sparked debates among scholars and activists.
• Some people don't realize that cultural appropriation can be harmful.
• Stop appropriating other cultures, it's not cool.
• Cultural appropriation is like wearing someone else's identity as a costume.

noun A person who lives in a slum, especially a child

• The documentary shed light on the living conditions of slumdog children in developing countries.
• I heard that new movie is about a slumdog who becomes a millionaire.
• Hey, did you see that slumdog movie? It was so good!
• Despite growing up in a rough neighborhood, she never let her circumstances define her as a slumdog.