SC390:MakingPopularCulture
BostonCollege
Fall2011
TuesdaysandThursdays,9‐10:15am(Carney204)
Instructor:DanielleHedegard Email:hedegard@u.arizona.edu(willbeupdatedtoBCaddresslater!)
Office:McGuinnHall,Rm409
OfficeHours:Tuesdays11am–12:30pm,orsetupbyemail(*seenotebelow)
CourseWebsite:onBlackboard
CourseDescription:Thiscourseexplorespopulargoods,television,movies,music,
dance,art,sports,festivals,andholidaysfromasociologicalperspective.Whatisthe
differencebetweenpopularcultureandhighculture?Wheredoespopularculturecome
fromandwhatroledoesitplayinsociety?Whatdopeopledowithpopularculture?
Howdoespopularcultureintersectwithrace,class,andgender?Theclasswillbe
framedaroundthetheoreticaltraditionsofconflicttheory(howpopularculture
influencesinequality)andsymbolicinteractionism(howpeopleconstructandinterpret
popularculture).Studentswillanalyzeapopularcultureeventoftheirchoicethrougha
fieldassignment.
ContactingtheInstructor:Pleasecommunicatewithmeifyouhavequestions.If
youemailmewithquestionsaboutthereadings,pleasebeasspecificaspossible.
Pleasedonotemailsaying“Idon’tunderstand[nameofreading]reading.”Instead,
rereadthearticleandthenemailmesaying,“I’mnotsurewhatthemainargument
ofthisreadingis.Isit[insertyourthoughts]?”or“Idon’tunderstandhowthe
articlesargumentthat[insertargument]relatestoconflicttheory?”Thesearejust
examples,butbespecific.
*OfficeHours:Iwillpostasignupsheetoutsideofmyoffice.Ifyouwanttomeet,
pleasesignupinoneofthe15minutetimeslotslisted.Ifthesetimesdonotfityour
schedule,pleaseemailmetosetupanalternativetime.
RequiredTexts:
1.Griswold,Wendy.2008.CulturesandSocietiesinaChangingWorld,ThousandOaks:
PineForge.
2.Grazian,David.2003.BlueChicago:TheSearchforAuthenticityinUrbanBluesClubs.
Chicago:UniversityofChicagoPress.
Allotherreadingsandvideoswillbeavailableonthecoursewebsite.
1
CourseRequirements:
Discussion:Participationinvitaltothelearningprocess.Youarerequiredtoparticipate
inanonlinediscussion,byrespondingtothequestionsposedbyyourclassmatesin
theirarticlereviews.Youmustpostaresponsetoatleast2timesperweek.Further
detailsforthisassignmentareattheendofthesyllabus.Yes,youcanalsomake
discussionpostsaboutthosereadingsthatarenotreviewedbyyourclassmates.
ArticleReview:Eachstudentwillberesponsibleforpreparinganoutlineandanalysis
ofoneoftheclassreadingsandpostingitonlinethedayBEFOREthereadingis“due”to
bereadinclass.Bepreparedtodiscussyourfindingswiththeclass.Furtherdetailsfor
thisassignmentareattheendofthesyllabus.
FieldActivity:Youwillcompleteyourownsociologicalanalysesofapopularculture
ritualofyourchoice.Bepreparedtodiscussyourfindingswiththeclass.Furtherdetails
areattheendofthesyllabus.
Exam:Therewillbeoneshort‐answerexam.
Grading:
Exam
100pts
ArticleAssignment 100pts
DiscussionPosts(28*at4ptseach)
112pts
FieldAssignment
100pts
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ TOTAL
412pts
[*Youmayposttothediscussionboardmoreoftenifyoulike,butIwillonlygivecreditfor28.]
GradingScale
Letter
Letter
Grade Percentage Grade Percentage
A
100‐93%
C
77‐72%
A‐
92‐90%
C‐
71‐70%
B+
89‐88%
D+
69‐68%
B
87‐82%
D
67‐62%
B‐
81‐80%
D‐
61‐60%
C+
79‐78%
F
59‐0%
2
StudentswithDisabilities:Ifyoudeterminethatformal,disability‐related
accommodationsarenecessary,itisveryimportantthatyouberegisteredwith
DisabilityResourcesandnotifymeofyoureligibilityforreasonableaccommodations.
Wecanthenplanhowbesttocoordinateyouraccommodations.
AcademicHonesty:Studentsareexpectedtocomplywiththestandardsfor
academicintegrityoutlinedintheBostonCollegeStudentGuide
(http://www.bc.edu/schools/cas/polisci/integrity.html).Cheatingontests,quizzes,
orexamswillresultinagradeof“0”forthetestinquestion.Plagiarized
assignmentswillalsoreceiveagradeof“0.”Inthecaseofeithercheatingor
plagiarism,Iamrequiredtocontactyouracademicdean.
CoursePolicies:
1.Lateworkwillnotbeaccepted.Pleasedonotcontactmerequestingan
extension.
2.Makeupwillnotbeallowedforanyactivities.
3.Examswillbeadministeredonlyonthescheduleddate.
4.Noextracreditwillbeassignedtomakeupformissedwork.Donotaskmefor
extracredit.Exceptionstothesepolicieswillonlybemadeinthecaseofa
DOCUMENTEDillnessorfamilyemergency.Ifyouhavealegitimateneed(amedical
emergencyordeathinthefamily)foranextensionoralternateexamdate,youshould
contactmebyemailassoonaspossibleandascanofyoudocumentation(adated
hospitaladmittanceform)shouldbeattachedtotheemailwhenyoucontactme.I
cannotgrantextensionsforstudentsthatdonotprovidedocumentationwithin2weeks
oftheemergency.
5.Idonotnegotiategrades.IfyoufeelIhaveincorrectlygradedyourworkorhave
notenteredyourpointscorrectly(ithappens),pleasecontactmewithyourconcernas
soonaspossible.However,ifyoucontactmesimplytobargainforahighergradethan
youhaveearnedintheclass,IWILLDEDUCTPOINTSfromyouroverallgrade.
6.Whencalculatingthefinalgrade,Iroundupiftothenearestwholepercentage.
Forexample,ifyouhavean89.5,thiswillbecomea90%finalgrade.Again,pleasedo
notaskmetoadjustyourgrades.
7.Ifyouhavealearningdisabilityandneedspecialaccommodations,youmust
contactmeBEFOREtheassignmentorexaminquestion.Donotwaituntilanexam
hasbeguntocontactmetorequestextratime.
8.Finally,awordoncheating.IstrictlyfollowtheBCcodeofacademicintegrity
regardingcheatingandIwillreportanyviolation.Ifyoucopytextfromanysource
(includingtheinternet),youwillreceiveazeroontheexamorassignment.Please
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rememberthatrewordingsomeoneelse’sthoughtsmustalsobecitedasifyouwere
quotingthatmaterial.Forexample,ifyouuseaninternetsourcethatreviewsacourse
readingwithoutcitingtheinternetsource,youarepassingthatinformationoffasyour
ownwork.Thisisplagiarismanditwillearnyouazeroontheassignment.
CourseOutline
Tu Sept Intro
6
Th Sept Thesociologicalperspectiveonculture
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1.Griswold,Wendy.2008.“CulturalMeaning”inCulturesand
SocietiesinaChangingWorld,ThousandOaks:PineForge,p.21‐52.
Tu Sept Whatarepopularcultureand“high”culture?
13 Video:ByInvitationOnly(MardiGras)
Th Sept 1.Veblen.“ConspicuousConsumption”inTheoryoftheLeisureClass.
15
2.Peterson,R.andR.Kern(1996).'ChangingHighbrowTaste:FromSnob
toOmnivore.'AmericanSociologicalReview61(5):900‐907.
Tu Sept 1.Gotham,Kevin.2007.“TheGreatestFreeShowonEarth,”inAuthentic
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NewOrleans:Tourism,Culture,andRaceintheBigEasy.NewYork:New
YorkUniversityPress,pp.169‐196.
Th Sept SymbolicInteractionismandPopularCulture
22
1.Griswold,Wendy.2008.“CultureasaSocialCreation”inCulturesand
SocietiesinaChangingWorld,ThousandOaks:PineForge,p.52‐77.
2.Becker,HowardS.1982.ArtWorlds(UCaliforniaPress),excerpt
appearsinSpillman,Lyn(ed.)2002.CulturalSociology(Malden,MA:
Blackwell),p.178‐88.
Tu Sept 1.Geertz,Clifford.1973.“DeepPlay:NotesfromtheBalineseCockfight.”
27
InTheInterpretationofCulture:SelectedEssays.NewYork:BasicBooks.
2.“RitualandNarrativeintheSportSpectacular”
Th Sept ConflictTheoryandPopularCulture
29
1.Griswold,Wendy.2008.“CultureandPower”inCulturesandSocieties
4
Tu
Oct
4
Th
Oct
6
Tu
Oct
11
Th
Oct
13
Tu
Oct
18
Th
Oct
20
Tu
Oct
25
Th
Oct
27
inaChangingWorld,ThousandOaks:PineForge,165‐181.
2.Adorno,TheodorandMaxHorkheimer.1944.“TheCultureIndustry:
EnlightenmentasMassDeception”inTheConsumerSocietyReader
(SchorandHolt,eds.)pp.3‐19.
1.ReelPower,CH1
Video:MickeyMouseMonopoly
MassProduction
1.Griswold,Wendy.2008“TheProduction,Distribution,andReception
ofCulture”inCulturesandSocietiesinaChangingWorld,ThousandOaks:
PineForge,78‐106.
1.Ritzer,George.TheMcDonaldizationofSociety,Introductionand
“Control”(chapter6).
1.Gamson,Joshua.1994.ClaimstoFame:CelebrityinContemporary
America,Chapter3“Industrial‐StrengthCelebrity.”
Reception
Video:BarbieNation
1.Hunt,Darnell.1997. ScreeningtheLosAngeles‘Riots’:Race,Seeing,and
Resistance(CambridgeUPress),CH7
GlobalizationandPopularCulture
1.Griswold,Wendy.2008.“CultureandConnections”inCulturesand
SocietiesinaChangingWorld,ThousandOaks:PineForge,143‐163.
2.Watson,James.2006.“McDonald’sinHongKong:Consumerism,
DietaryChange,andtheRiseofaChildren’sCulture”inReadingsfor
Sociology,GarthMassey(ed),NewYork:Norton,152‐163.
1.Condry,I.(2006).Hip‐HopJapan:RapandthePathsofCultural
Globalization.Durham,DukeUniversityPress.Chapter2.
2.Bruner,E.(2005).'TheMaasaiandtheLionKing:Authenticity,
Nationalism,andGlobalizationinAfricanTourism'.CultureonTour:
EthnographiesofTravel.Chicago,UniversityofChicagoPress:71‐100.
5
Tu
Nov
1
Th
Nov
3
Tu
Nov
8
Th
Nov
10
Nov
15
Tu
Th
Nov
17
Tu
Nov
22
Th
Nov
24
Nov
29
Tu
Th
Dec
1
Tu
Dec
6
Gender,Sexuality,andPopularCulture
Video:KillingUsSoftly3
1.Leblanc,L.(1999).Prettyinpunk:Girls'genderresistanceinaboys'
subculture,RutgersUnivPr.Chapter5“"I'llSlaponMyLipstickandThen
KickTheirAss":ConstructingFemininity.”
1.ChrysIngraham,WhiteWeddings:RomancingHeterosexualityin
PopularCulture,Chapter3“RomancingtheClone.”
Video:ToughGuise:Violence,Media,andtheCrisisinMasculinity
RaceandPopularCulture
Video:ReelBadArabs
1.Grazian,David.2003.BlueChicago:TheSearchforAuthenticityin
UrbanBluesClubs.Chicago:UniversityofChicagoPress,Introductionand
CH1
FIELDASSIGNMENTDUETODAY!–Bepreparedtoshareabrief
descriptionwiththeclass!
1.Grazian,David.2003.BlueChicago:TheSearchforAuthenticityin
UrbanBluesClubs.Chicago:UniversityofChicagoPress,CH2
NOCLASS
PopularCultureandAuthenticity
1.Grazian,David.2003.BlueChicago:TheSearchforAuthenticityin
UrbanBluesClubs.Chicago:UniversityofChicagoPress,CH4,5
1.Lu,S.andG.A.Fine(1995).'ThePresentationofEthnicAuthenticity:
ChineseFoodasaSocialAccomplishment.'TheSociologicalQuarterly
36(3):535‐553.
2.Goldstein‐Gidoni,Ofra.2000.“TheProductionofTraditionandCulture
intheJapaneseWeddingEnterprise.”Ethnos,65(1):33‐55.
PopularCultureandNationalism
1.Wagner‐PacificiandBarrySchwartz.1991.“TheVietnamVeterans
Memorial:CommemorationofaDifficultPast”inAmericanJournalof
Sociology,97(2):376‐420.
6
Th
Dec
8
Tu
Dec
13
Dec
?
1.Miller,MarilynGrace.2004."TangoinBlackandWhite".RiseandFall
oftheCosmicRace:TheCultofMestizajeinLatinAmerica.M.G.Miller.
AustinUniversityofTexasPress,pp.79‐95.
NOCLASS
FINALEXAM
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ARTICLEREVIEWGUIDELINES
Provideasummaryofyourassignedreading,outliningitskeypoints.Makesureto
explainwhattheARGUMENTofthearticleis.Alsoexplainhowthearticlerelatesto
relevantsociologicalconceptsandtothetopicoftheweek(globalization,reception,
etc).40points.
Whatwere2thingsinthearticleyoufoundparticularlyinteresting?Why?40
points.
Doyouagreewiththearticle’sargumentorperspective?Whyorwhynot?10
points.
Whatare2questions(relatedtothereading)thatyouhavefortheclass?10points.
PostyourarticlereviewonBlackboard.Bepreparedtodiscussyourfindingswith
theclassthefollowingday!
Youcanpostitearly,butitMUSTbepostedthedayBEFOREthedayitis
assigned.
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DISCUSSIONGUIDELINES
Youarerequiredtoparticipateinanonlinediscussion,byrespondingtothequestions
posedbyyourclassmatesintheirarticlereviews.Youmustpostaresponsetoatleast2
timesperweek,respondingtoarticlereviewquestions.Theseareworth4pointseach.
Youmayposttothediscussionboardmoreoftenifyoulike,butIwillonlygivecredit
for28.Bepreparedtodiscusswiththeclassthefollowingday.
Thefollowingshouldbekeptinmindforresponses:
Ensurethattheresponsesaddtothediscussionandarerelevanttothe
questionspostedforthatweek.
Pleasedonotjustdisagreeoragree,butclearlyandconciselyexplain
yourargument.
Pleaseuseexamplesfromtheassignedreadingsfortheweekandany
otherrelevantmaterialsthatmayaddtothediscussion.
Pleaseincludeexamplesfromyourexperienceorcurrenteventsto
supportyouranswer(whenyoucan).
GradingRubricforDiscussionposts
Earned
points
0
2
4
Criteria
Agreeor
Addstothe
Meetsallofthe
disagree;
discussionbut abovecriteria
1or2sentences lacksseveralof
responsesthat
theabove
mayberelated substantial
tothetopic.
criteria
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FIELDASSIGNMENTGUIDELINES
1.Choosea"site"ofpopularculturewhichinterestsyou.Your"site"shouldbea
physicalplaceofsocialinteraction,likeasportingevent,abar,atownmeeting,a
particularstoreinashoppingmall,acountyfair,etc.Ifyouhavetroublefindinga
siteorareunsureaboutyoursite,pleaseemailmetoconfer.
2.Preparea1.5‐2pageethnographicdescriptionofthesite.Thisdescriptionshould
besimilarinstyleandcontenttothedescriptionoftheBalineseCockfightbyGeertz
(whichIhaveplacedalinktoond2lintheintrosectionundercontents).Itshould
describewhatindividualsandgroupsareinthesite,whattheyaredoing,howthey
areorarenotinteracting,whatifanythingisthecentralfocusofthesite/activity,
whatobjectsorritualsaremostimportantinthesiteandhowcanyoutellthisby
observingthesite,andwheredoyoufitintothesite.
3.Prepareahalfpagereflectiononhowyoufeltinthesiteandwhatyouthinkofthe
culturalactivity/site.
4.Prepareasociologicalanalysisofthesite,of2‐4pages.First,decidewhichofthe
followingareMOSTimportantissuesinthesite:race,class,gender,consumption,
globalization,authenticity,oranyotherconceptwereadaboutinclass.CHOOSE
ONLY2TODISCUSSINTHEPAPER.Analyzethesitewiththesetwotheoriesor
concepts.Youmustciteatleast2ofthecoursereadings…andusethemtoexplainor
analyzeyoursite!
5.Formatthispaperin12‐point,doublespacedlines,TimesNewRomanfont.It
shouldbeATLEAST4pageslong!Pleasesubmitin.docformat.
6.Submitacopyofyourfinalpaperbytheduedatelistedonthesyllabus.Youcan
submitthepaperinclassorbyemail.Bepreparedtodiscussyourworkinclass!
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VIDEOLINKS MickeyMouseMonopoly(wholevideoavailable)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgxVvbai_nI
ReelBadArabs(wholevideoavailable)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWb7LoMtw9g
KillingUsSoftly3(youcansearchyoutubeforothersectionsofthisvideoseries,all
verygood):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSTg_6N0G7w&playnext=1&list=PLA895ABE3B
D3D40C2
ToughGuise:Violence,Media,andtheCrisisinMasculinity(wholefilmavailable):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79ijDA_1FVY
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