The subject matter of Cultural Studies as it emerged as a 'proto-discipline’ in the 1960s, was predominantly exploration of

Correct option is B

Cultural Studies emerged as a discipline in the 1960s in Britain, in response to the perceived dominance of high culture in academia. Cultural Studies scholars were interested in studying the culture of the people, which they defined as popular culture. Popular culture includes things like music, movies, television, fashion, and advertising.

Cultural Studies scholars argued that popular culture is just as important as high culture, and that it can be used to understand the social and political forces that shape our world. They also argued that popular culture is not just a passive product of these forces, but that it can also be used to resist and challenge them. Some of the key figures in the early development of Cultural Studies include Richard Hoggart, Raymond Williams, and Stuart Hall. These scholars wrote about a wide range of topics, including working-class culture, popular culture, and the relationship between culture and power.

Cultural Studies has since become a major discipline in its own right, and it is now taught in universities all over the world. Cultural Studies scholars continue to study popular culture, but they also study other forms of culture, such as high culture, subcultures, and countercultures.

Cultural Studies is a diverse and interdisciplinary field, and it offers a unique perspective on the world around us. It is a valuable tool for understanding the social and political forces that shape our culture, and the ways in which we can use culture to resist and challenge these forces.

Information Booster:
The term proto-discipline is used because, in the 1960s, Cultural Studies was not yet a fully institutionalized academic discipline but rather an interdisciplinary approach, drawing from sociology, anthropology, literary criticism, and media studies.

Influences included Marxist theory, Gramsci’s concept of hegemony, and later post-structuralism.

Scholars sought to understand how cultural texts and practices are linked to social power structures and class relations.

Additional Knowledge:
High culture: This was the main focus of earlier cultural criticism, but Cultural Studies deliberately challenged the elitism that separated “high” from “low” culture.

Subaltern History: More directly tied to the Subaltern Studies group (India, 1980s), focusing on marginalized voices in history, though Cultural Studies shares some overlap in postcolonial contexts.

Comparative Politics: Belongs to political science, dealing with cross-national political systems, not the main focus of Cultural Studies in its 1960s form.