Popular Culture, Minor

A student majoring in Popular Culture studies the forms of creative expression we use in everyday life. Courses focus on the impact various aspects of popular culture (such as television, movies, rock music, popular books and magazines, sports, holidays, festivals, and folklore) have on our culture and how they reflect the values of our society. While studies of contemporary culture are an important part of the program, historical material is emphasized as well. (See also Folklore, Minor .)

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the baccalaureate degree, students in popular culture are expected to:

• Apply critical analysis to the popular culture environment, both in the present and in its various historical manifestations, in order to discuss such matters as how popular culture shapes/reflects our personal and social experiences, how popular culture shapes/reflects diversity in a multicultural society, and how popular culture shapes/reflects American culture’s relationship to global culture(s);
• Explain ways in which the materials of popular culture are shaped by aesthetic, social history, and cultural forces, and how the materials of popular culture influence these forces as well;
• Describe basic theories and methodologies relevant to popular culture scholarship, and apply those theories and methodologies in research;
• Demonstrate how diverse aesthetic systems embody the visions and values of different cultural groups;
• Convey ideas orally and in writing.