The History of Popular Culture in the United States

3 units

This course surveys major developments in the history of popular culture in America, stretching from the mid-nineteenth century to the present. It explores topics such as literature, drama/theater, dance halls, movies, radio, advertising, television, music and the internet; it covers different types of popular culture such as printing, performance, image, and audio; it looks at how popular culture has been depicted in terms of icons, myths, stereotypes, heroes, celebrities and rituals; it addresses the rise of mass production and consumption; it examines the ways in which race, class, gender, ethnicity and sexuality have been perceived and are portrayed in popular culture; and it illustrates how the content of popular culture shapes and reflects our personal, social, political and intellectual beliefs and values.