Abstract
The impact of literary theorists’ transnational mobility on their academic production remains an understudied topic. The experiences of the Frankfurt School in the United States during World War II played a crucial role in shaping their critical theories. Therefore, the Frankfurt School should not be viewed solely as a branch of German social philosophy or Western Marxism, but also a product of “Americanization.” Focusing on the Frankfurt School's “American period” (ca. 19341949), this article conceptualizes the “Americanization of the Frankfurt School” in three stages: Germany, the United State, and a partial return to Germany. This framework illuminates how their experiences in the United States catalyzed the development of their innovative cultural theories. The argument proceeds in three aspects. First, upon arriving in the United States, the Frankfurt School engaged in various debates with the indigenous American schools from different theoretical standpoints. Second, their research underwent a paradigm shift from political-economic critique to socio-cultural critique. Third, following their “partial return to Germany,” the American themes within their work continued to evolve into diverse theoretical and practical applications. These three aspects chart the gradual deepening of the “Americanization” of the Frankfurt School from perspective encounters and paradigm shifts to development divergences.
Keywords
the Frankfurt School, American period, Americanization, critical theory
First Page
207
Last Page
216
Recommended Citation
Hao, Huimin. . "Perspective Encounters, Paradigm Shifts, and Development Divergences: Three Stages of the “Americanization of the Frankfurt School”." Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art 45, (4): pp.207-216. https://tsla.researchcommons.org/journal/vol45/iss4/20
