LIT 4304 Spring 2018 Edwards

This course examines theories of popular culture and the emergence of mass culture. We will take seriously George Lipsitz's claim that "perhaps the most important facts about people have always been encoded within the ordinary and the commonplace." Of particular interest is how popular culture studies can help us understand our current moment of convergence culture, where old and new media interact in novel and ever more complex ways. We will analyze strategies of reading and reception. The course interrogates designations such as "high," "pop," "mass," and "folk" as well as concepts of subculture, counterculture, and youth culture. We will focus particular attention on television and popular music, although we will also consider new media, film, and advertising. Assignments include Canvas discussion posts, a midterm exam, two shorter essays, and the longer final essay.