critical theory

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

• noun The field of study concerned with formulating and evaluating intellectual approaches to the analysis or interpretation of works of art, texts, and other cultural artifacts. Critical theory encompasses such theories as New Criticism, Marxism, structuralism, deconstruction, and postcolonial theory.
• noun A collection of theories used to describe and analyze society and social norms, especially with the goal of enhancing the freedom of the individual while preserving social justice.
• noun Any of these theories.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

• noun The examination and critique of society and literature, drawing from knowledge across social science and humanities disciplines.