Question 1

1) Why do cultural studies theorists separate words with capital letters from those without, even when the words in question are not proper nouns (e.g., woman vs. Woman)? Explain why we do this (i.e., what is the convention a shorthand for), and what significance it has. (30-50 words)

Cultural studies theorists capitalize some nouns to express that they stand for an idea rather than the actual object. To use your example, woman simply means a physical woman, whereas Woman would refer to the percieved image of Woman (like “I am woman, hear me roar). This shorthand makes arguments flow more smoothly and separates the concept from the basic object.