Cultural evolution

You should have looked further than the Daily Mail for the research for your report "Cultural studies conference looks to shake off Mickey Mouse image" (News, July 20).

Calling up three people for quotes and stringing them together nonsensically isn't great, either.

For the record, it was media studies that used to be tagged the Mickey Mouse subject, but thankfully this insulting label has long since been attached to other unfortunate subjects, usually allied to vocational training taught in post-1992 universities to primarily working-class students.

I have spent 25 years in cultural studies, and it is axiomatic to the discipline that it evolves in relation to the concerns of the times.

This makes cultural studies timely, critically reflexive, and of political and social relevance, or dilettantist, depending on your prejudices.

The Times Higher unfailingly takes the latter view.

Sally R. Munt
Professor of media and cultural studies (and AHRC Panel 2 member for cultural studies)
Sussex University