Carolyn Cooper is a West Indian author, professor, and literary scholar. Carolyn Cooper's academic approach is grounded in 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...

.

Born in Jamaica

Jamaica

Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...

, Dr. Cooper currently heads the department of Literary and Cultural Studies at the University of the West Indies, Mona Jamaica

Mona, Jamaica

Mona is a neighbourhood in southeastern Saint Andrew Parish, approximately five miles from Kingston, Jamaica. A former sugar plantation, it is the site of a reservoir serving the city of Kingston and of the main campus of the University of the West Indies...

. For the past 26 years she has lectured at the University of the West Indies, Department of Literature in English.

In 1968 she was awarded the Jamaica Scholarship which three years later culminated with a Bachelors of Arts Degree in English (B.A. English). In 1972 she proceeded to the University of Toronto

University of Toronto

The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...

, Ontario, Canada to pursue her Masters Degree in English, which was followed by the completion of her Ph. D at the same institution.

Journals

• Cooper, Carolyn J. Enslaved In Stereotypes: Race and Representation in Post-independence Jamaica
• Cooper, Carolyn J. Punany Powah
• Cooper, Carolyn J. 'West Indies plight': Louise Bennett and The Cultural Politics of Federation
• Cooper, Carolyn J. Race and the cultural politics of self-representation: A View from the University of the West Indies
• Cooper, Carolyn J. Lyrical Gun: Metaphor and Role Play in Jamaican Dancehall Culture
• Cooper, Carolyn J. Ragamuffin sounds: Crossing over from reggae to rap and back
• Cooper, Carolyn J. Loosely talking theory: Oral/Sexual Discourse in Jamaican Popular Culture

Awards

• Association of Commonwealth Universities Academic Exchange Fellow, University of the South Pacific
  University of the South Pacific
  The University of the South Pacific is a public university with a number of locations spread throughout a dozen countries in Oceania. It is an international centre for teaching and research on Pacific culture and environment. USP's academic programmes are recognised worldwide, attracting students...
  
  , Fiji, September - October, 1993