SOC257 Sociology of Popular Culture

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2011
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 10 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
prof. Bernadette Nadya Jaworsky, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Edita Bezdičková (assistant)
Mgr. et Mgr. Gábor Oláh, Ph.D. (assistant)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. Ing. Radim Marada, Ph.D.
Division of Sociology – Department of Sociology – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Ing. Soňa Enenkelová
Timetable
Tue 16:00–17:40 AVC
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 60 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/60, only registered: 0/60, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/60
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 19 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
Imagine a sociology course where you already “know” much of the empirical material that we will examine during the semester. Television, film, music, art and other forms of non-elite culture provide the data for this intensive investigation of the role of popular culture in contemporary life. Sociological theory provides the lens through which we look at the ways in which popular culture interacts and intersects with society. Moving from capitalism to consumerism and from the Frankfurt School to Fiske on TV theory, we will think about the different effects of the “popular” on our own lives as well as on society as a whole. We’ll consider the many ways in which popular culture has been defined and understood historically and consider how these might affect a globalized future. Topics include gender, race, and ethnicity, class and commodification, globalization, subcultures, identities, and the processes of resistance and domination.

By the end of the semester, students should be able to: • Recognize, define and discuss the concepts of “popular” and “culture” • Review and analyze patterns of historical change in the social effects of popular culture • Compare and contrast different sociological theories of popular culture • Apply a sociological lens for analysis of the influence of popular culture in various social spheres, including the state, the economy, the family, education, religion and civil society • Critically reflect about their own experiences in light of sociological and historical data
Syllabus
  • Timetable:
  • • 1st Seminar: Introduction
  • • 2nd Seminar: The History of Popular Culture – Part I
  • • 3rd Seminar: The History of Popular Culture – Part II (focus: Czech pop culture)
  • • 4th Seminar: Functionalist Approaches to Popular Culture (focus: ritual & sport)
  • • 5th Seminar: Critical Approaches to Popular Culture (focus: television)
  • • 6th Seminar: Interaction Approaches to Popular Culture (focus: youth/subcultures/fandom)
  • • 7th Seminar: No class – reading period
  • • 8th Seminar: MID-TERM EXAM
  • • 9th Seminar: Creating Popular Culture (focus: music)
  • • 10th Seminar: How the Media and Culture Industries Work (focus: film)
  • • 11th Seminar: Social Class and the Search for Meaning (audiences)
  • • 12th Seminar: Shopping & Consumption (focus: places)
  • • 13th Seminar: Conclusion (focus: the digital age)
  • Literature:
  • Grazian, David. 2010. Mix It Up: Popular Culture, Mass Media, and Society. New York: W. W. Norton & Co.
  • Betts, Raymond F. 2004. A History of Popular Culture: More of Everything, Faster and Brighter. New York: Routledge.
  • Guins, Raiford A. and Omayra Zaragoza Cruz. 2005. Popular Culture: A Reader. London: Sage.
Assessment methods
Conditions for passing the course:

1. Mid-term Exam
2. Final exam
3. Short (4-6 page) essay (optional for replacing either exam)

Particular activities of students will be evaluated as follows:

50% - Mid-term Exam
50% - Final Exam
OR:
50% - Choice of Exam
50% - Optional Essay
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/autumn2011/SOC257