Keywords Re-Oriented.

This publication reflects from within the perspective of Western cultural studies upon the following inherent problems. Western cultural studies claim to be universal but nevertheless have developed their theories almost exclusively with Western source material and concerns. Yet, even within the Western academic discourse, a multiplicity of strands have emerged within the discipline and the significant divergence between national cultural studies therefore shows no unified body of cultural studies. With its enormous impact on Western academia cultural studies are now being adapted to non-Western academic traditions, generating an even greater diversity of cultural studies approaches. While acknowledging that multiplicity is inherent to the nature of cultural studies, it is our contention that Chinese cultural studies cannot easily be subsumed under the umbrella of Western cultural studies. The Keywords Re-Oriented course critically reflects upon Western theoretical approaches towards culture through an examination of the application of Western analytical keywords to the non-Western culture of China, testing theories and notions of culture generated in the West in their application to the Chinese field.