US Popular Culture

This course focuses on the relationship between popular culture, media, and society and provides an overview of social structures, content, audiences, and effects. The core mission of this class is to connect popular culture to the larger world in which it is produced and consumed. We examine the institutional and social contexts of cultural production and consumption in the United States. We will cover a variety of cultural forms (e.g. music, film, tv, and social media) and explore culture as an arena of conflict and a vehicle for social change. Other areas of focus include the meaning of aesthetics and style in daily life, cultural gatekeeping, and the role of social media platforms in shaping the production, distribution, and consumption of cultural texts/commodities.