AMST 7420:American Popular Culture

3 Class Hours 0 Laboratory Hours 3 Credit Hours
Prerequisite: Admission to the graduate program in American Studies or permission of the program director.
This course examines the role of popular and mass culture in the Americas by beginning with the premise that popular culture is an important site of expression, social instruction, and cultural conflict, and thus deserves critical attention. Students may examine theoretical texts as well as primary sources, and the course may include a focus on global consumerism in America as well as Americanized sites. The course may survey a range of popular texts, such as mass culture events (e.g., sports), advertising, popular music, and theme parks, and place these expressions of mass culture in political, economic, and social contexts. Alternatively, an offering may focus on a particular popular culture product (e.g., bestsellers; popular music) in depth. Course may be repeated for credit provided the content differs entirely from the previous offering.