| Anthropology of Popular Culture |
| Why study popular culture? A better question would be--why not study popular culture? Popular culture is culture too. In a way, it is elitist to think that only "high" culture is worth studying. Furthermore, calling something "high" culture or "low" culture is itself a cultural phenomenon--who gets to make such choices, and what does that say about power and stratification in society? But ultimately, popular culture is important precisely because it is popular, i.e., it is what many people do or consume others doing. Therefore, the practices, values, groups, and messages embedded and communicated in popular culture are extremely important for making the "people" the way they are. |
| Course Schedule: Week One: What is Popular Culture? Suggested reading: "The Coolhunt" Week Two: Media, Lived Experience, and Culture Suggested reading: What did McLuhan Mean? The Medium is the Message Week Three: American Myths, Values, and Icons Suggested reading: Tocqueville Democracy in America Week Four: Advertising--Commercialization of Culture Suggested reading: Week Five: Television--Drug of a Nation Suggested reading: Week Six: Music Suggested reading: Week Seven: News/Radio/The Press--Land of Opinion Suggested reading: Liar, Liar: The Politics of Name Calling Week Eight: Interlude: Postmodernism Suggested reading: Postmodern thought Week Nine: Internet/Cyberculture Suggested reading: Howard Rheingold Virtual Reality Week Ten: Sports Suggested reading: Week Eleven: Literature Suggested reading: Week Twelve: Spirituality/Religion Suggested Reading: God in Computer Games Suggested reading: Religious Television Week Thirteen: Pop Psychology/"Self-help" Suggested reading: Week Fourteen: Movies Suggested reading: Week Fifteen: Miscellaneous--Politics, Public Space, Food, Leisure... Week Sixteen: Student presentations List of suggested popular culture books |