Timothy Luke
Encyclopedia
Timothy W. Luke is University Distinguished Professor of Political Science
in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences as well as Program Chair of the Government and International Affairs Program, School of Public and International Affairs at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
in Blacksburg, Virginia
.
He received a B.A. with high distinction in Government
and English
from the University of Arizona
in 1972; a M.A. in Political Science from the University of Arizona in 1975; a M.A. in Political Science from Washington University in St. Louis
in 1977; and in 1981, a Ph.D. in Political Science from Washington University.
His areas of research and teaching specialization include environmental politics
and cultural studies
as well as comparative politics, international political economy
, and modern critical
social
and political theory. Many articles and book chapters by him on these topics have been published in scholarly journals and books in the United States and abroad. He has been very actively involved with critical theory
communities tied to the Frankfurt School
, the critique of mainstream social sciences
, critical geopolitics
, and environmental political theory groups associated with journals like Capitalism Nature Socialism, New Political Science, International Political Sociology, and TELOS
for many years.
During 1996, he served as Visiting Research and Teaching Scholar at The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand
, and in 1995 he was the Fulbright Professor
of Cultural Theory and the Politics of Information Society at Victoria University of Wellington
in New Zealand
. In 1994-1995, he was a key organizer of the Virginia Tech Cyberschool
, a founder of the Center for Digital Discourse and Culture in 1997, and the first Executive Director of the Institute of Distance and Distributed Learning at Virginia Tech from 1998 to 2001. As part of these activities, he created the first entirely online MA degree program in political science available in the U.S.A. in the Department of Political Science at Virginia Tech. He has taught in the past at the University of Arizona, the University of Missouri
, the University of Missouri–St. Louis
, and Washington University.
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences as well as Program Chair of the Government and International Affairs Program, School of Public and International Affairs at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, popularly known as Virginia Tech , is a public land-grant university with the main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia with other research and educational centers throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and internationally.Founded in...
in Blacksburg, Virginia
Blacksburg, Virginia
Blacksburg is an incorporated town located in Montgomery County, Virginia, United States, with a population of 42,620 at the 2010 census. Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and Radford are the three principal jurisdictions of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area which...
.
He received a B.A. with high distinction in Government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
and English
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
from the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
in 1972; a M.A. in Political Science from the University of Arizona in 1975; a M.A. in Political Science from Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis is a private research university located in suburban St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1853, and named for George Washington, the university has students and faculty from all fifty U.S. states and more than 110 nations...
in 1977; and in 1981, a Ph.D. in Political Science from Washington University.
His areas of research and teaching specialization include environmental politics
Public ecology
The idea of public ecology has recently emerged in response to increasing disparities over political, social, and environmental concerns. Of particular interest are the processes that generate, evaluate and apply knowledge in political, social, and environmental arenas. Public ecology offers a...
and cultural studies
Cultural studies
Cultural studies is an academic field grounded in critical theory and literary criticism. It generally concerns the political nature of contemporary culture, as well as its historical foundations, conflicts, and defining traits. It is, to this extent, largely distinguished from cultural...
as well as comparative politics, international political economy
International political economy
International political economy , also known as global political economy, is an academic discipline within the social sciences that analyzes international relations in combination with political economy. As an interdisciplinary field it draws on many distinct academic schools, most notably ...
, and modern critical
Critical theory
Critical theory is an examination and critique of society and culture, drawing from knowledge across the social sciences and humanities. The term has two different meanings with different origins and histories: one originating in sociology and the other in literary criticism...
social
Social theory
Social theories are theoretical frameworks which are used to study and interpret social phenomena within a particular school of thought. An essential tool used by social scientists, theories relate to historical debates over the most valid and reliable methodologies , as well as the primacy of...
and political theory. Many articles and book chapters by him on these topics have been published in scholarly journals and books in the United States and abroad. He has been very actively involved with critical theory
Critical theory
Critical theory is an examination and critique of society and culture, drawing from knowledge across the social sciences and humanities. The term has two different meanings with different origins and histories: one originating in sociology and the other in literary criticism...
communities tied to the Frankfurt School
Frankfurt School
The Frankfurt School refers to a school of neo-Marxist interdisciplinary social theory, particularly associated with the Institute for Social Research at the University of Frankfurt am Main...
, the critique of mainstream social sciences
Social sciences
Social science is the field of study concerned with society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences usually exclusive of the administrative or managerial sciences...
, critical geopolitics
Critical geopolitics
The basic concept behind Geopolitics is that intellectuals of statecraft construct ideas about places, these ideas have influence and reinforce their political behaviors and policy choices, and these ideas affect how we, the people, process our own notions of places and politics.Critical...
, and environmental political theory groups associated with journals like Capitalism Nature Socialism, New Political Science, International Political Sociology, and TELOS
TELOS (journal)
Telos is an academic journal published in the United States. It was founded in May 1968 to provide the New Left with a coherent theoretical perspective. It sought to expand the Husserlian diagnosis of "the crisis of European sciences" to prefigure a particular program of social reconstruction...
for many years.
During 1996, he served as Visiting Research and Teaching Scholar at The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand
The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand
The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand or Open Polytechnic is a Government-owned tertiary education institution operating as the specialist national provider of open and distance learning ....
, and in 1995 he was the Fulbright Professor
Fulbright Program
The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright-Hays Program, is a program of competitive, merit-based grants for international educational exchange for students, scholars, teachers, professionals, scientists and artists, founded by United States Senator J. William Fulbright in 1946. Under the...
of Cultural Theory and the Politics of Information Society at Victoria University of Wellington
Victoria University of Wellington
Victoria University of Wellington was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a former constituent college of the University of New Zealand. It is particularly well known for its programmes in law, the humanities, and some scientific disciplines, but offers a broad range of other courses...
in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. In 1994-1995, he was a key organizer of the Virginia Tech Cyberschool
Virtual learning environment
Defined largely by usage, the term virtual learning environment has most, if not all, of the following salient properties:* It is Web-based* It uses Web 2.0 tools for rich 2-way interaction* It includes a content management system...
, a founder of the Center for Digital Discourse and Culture in 1997, and the first Executive Director of the Institute of Distance and Distributed Learning at Virginia Tech from 1998 to 2001. As part of these activities, he created the first entirely online MA degree program in political science available in the U.S.A. in the Department of Political Science at Virginia Tech. He has taught in the past at the University of Arizona, the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
, the University of Missouri–St. Louis
University of Missouri–St. Louis
The University of Missouri–St. Louis is one of four universities in the University of Missouri System. Established in 1963, it is the newest university in the UM System. , it is the largest university by enrollment in the St. Louis area with 16,548 students...
, and Washington University.
Works
- Tim Luke's Online Papers
- Ideology and Soviet Industrialization (Contributions in Political Science), Greenwood Press, 1985. 283 pp. ISBN 0313238316
- Social Theory and Modernity: Critique, Dissent, and Revolution, Sage Publications, 1990. 278 pp. ISBN 0803938616
- Shows of Force: Power, Politics, and Ideology in Art Exhibitions, Duke University Press, 1992. 264 pp. ISBN 0822311232\
- “Searching for Alternatives: Postmodern Populism and Ecology”. Telos 103 (Spring 1995). New York: Telos Press.
- Ecocritique: Contesting the Politics of Nature, Economy, and Culture, University of Minnesota Press, 1997. 272 pp. ISBN 0816628475
- Capitalism, Democracy, and Ecology: DEPARTING FROM MARX, University of Illinois Press, 1999. 272 pp. ISBN 0252067290
- Museum Politics: Power Plays at the Exhibition, University of Minnesota Press, 2002. 265 pp. ISBN 0816619891
- "Displaying the Enola Gay, hiding Hiroshima", Arena Journal 22 (January 1, 2004), p. 73
- Vectors of Virtualization, Sage Publications, 2005. 240 pp. ISBN 0761958304