Megawords

272pp
'This work, which is a cultural dictionary of key terms in the humanities, has been used extensively in research and academic contexts globally. It has been published in Australia, America and Britain but is also sold around the world and is about to be published in Korea and Turkey. Megawords however is also an historical elucidation of the use and development of concepts that locates them within current theoretical practice, showing readers the relationship between different disciplines. Many of the terms in the book are of recent origin so that these locations are an epistemological contribution to knowledge in delineating the genesis of ideas. The work has been extensively reviewed and is recommended on many humanities courses. This work was developed through empirical research discussion involving lecturers and students to identify gaps in understanding within inter-disciplinary paradigms and reflects that methodological approach. The research work involved discussion with students, both undergraduate and postgraduate, to identify areas in which inter-disciplinary understanding was weak. Almost every term, and its genesis, was deployed in lectures and seminars and discussed with audiences, in Britain, Korea and Turkey. Megawords is used extensively on humanities and communication courses on three continents.

During the research into this publication, the website Megawords.net allowed further iteration and exploration of interpretation. This global website also contained further definitions and included an extended essay ‘Art and the Mass media’.

The research was further disseminated through more recent publications, including Art Theory for Beginners.