The Fredric Jameson Institute for Critical Theory is the premier site for the collaborative study of critical theory at Duke.

Through the Critical Theory Workshop, conferences and symposia, and visiting research fellowships, we foster the study of the theoretical connections between historical-cultural, aesthetic, and social research, with a focus on the foundations of the paradigms that most prominently circulate throughout the humanities and social sciences today—including, but hardly limited to, social and political theory, cultural analysis, aesthetic theory, studies on colonialism and neocolonialism, critical theories of race, the analysis of discourses and ideologies, and the study of intellectual movements and schools of thought. The Institute was founded in 2004 by Professor Fredric Jameson and renamed in 2025 to celebrate his intellectual legacy. It is housed in Duke University's Program in Literature and directed by Nima Bassiri. Learn more about what we do, our members, and our events.