Popular Culture in the United States

Catalog description

This course is part of the American Studies “Questions” series, fulfilling an introductory-level requirement for the AMST concentration. The course surveys the relationship between society and culture and will introduce you to major themes in the field that have emerged in recent years. The core mission of the class is to connect popular culture to the larger world in which it is produced and consumed. We explore how culture is used to establish and contest social boundaries in the contemporary United States and examine how diverse cultural fields such as popular music, film, and social media both reflect and drive social change. Registration priority for first-years and sophomores, others may request overrides if space available. No prerequisites.