The purpose of this course is to provide a critical understanding of popular culture’s role in society. The course introduces a range of theoretical approaches to study popular culture, exploring the intersections between everyday life, media, and broader political and historical contexts within (mostly) the United States.

We will examine the history of mediated pop culture, the commercial and social aspects of its texts, and the cultural industry's influence on social relations and values. Drawing on theoretical concepts and concrete examples, we will delve into cultural texts and practices in an attempt to reveal the social processes that exist beneath the surface

Ultimately, this course will provide the tools to study media and popular culture (e.g. television, music, games, film, advertising, and social media). The course will expand notions of popular culture by focusing on digital media dimensions via examples and approaches.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Identify what makes an element of culture part of popular culture.
• Decode what a newly encountered popular cultural text/practice is trying to say about the world.
• Analyze the limitations and possibilities of that perspective on the world.
• Identify particular ways in which popular culture representations throughout history reflect those times and places.
• Identify how other individuals use popular forms and practices to construct identities and social relationships that are different than theirs.
• Deploy analytic strategies for interpreting texts.
• Acquire and improve their media literacy skills.
• Reason critically when discussing popular culture via a thorough understanding of historical and social contexts.