Pop Culture, Media, and You
Course Description
Popular culture has been dismissed as mere trivia – “just entertainment.” Take a step back from simply consuming popular culture to investigate how different cultural forms communicate ideas about the world. Explore questions including: How do various popular culture forms represent social life? Why do we consume popular culture in the ways that we do? How do people create their own popular culture as it becomes easier than ever in the internet age? Explore a range of media and genres – including our phones and other technology, social media, television, film, advertising and music – to examine the significance of popular culture. Use your own expertise as consumers of popular culture as a take-off point for exploring the various roles played by mass-mediated popular culture in our lives. Learn to assess the value of different critiques of popular culture. Explore various methods to investigate both what popular culture does to people and what people do with popular culture. Learn to think critically about the way media influences your life and the world around you.