That thing I do

For those of you wondering what I'm doing when I say I'm in a masters programme in cultural studies, this was some of my reading for the week:

• Gilles Deleuze & Felix Gauttari, Anti-Oedipus (pages 1-38)
• Franz Boas, "The Study of Geography"
• Norbert Elias, The History of Manners (the first chapter)
• George W. Stocking, "Franz Boas and the Culture Concept in Perspective"
• Immanuel Kant, The Conflict of the Faculties

Which led into lectures and seminars on:

• What were Deleuze and Gauttari on about: desiring machines, body without organs, becoming?
• What is "the West"? What is "culture" and what is "civilisation"?
• What is the philosopher's approach vs. the theologian's when it comes to studying, well, anything?

At least, that's what I think we were talking about.

I don't think any of you, kind readers, come here for in-depth discussions of the above, but I just thought I'd plonk it up as a taste of what I'm doing when I'm not here/not cooking/not at the pub. This week I've enjoyed Deleuze and Gauttari the most, even though every time I read them, my mind feels like it's been first pulled through a wringer, then massaged into some new gravity-defying shape.