Department of Sociology
Faculty of Arts
SOC 202: Popular Culture
Winter 2025, Section 11 (in class)
Tutorials: in EPH242, Mon 10am-11am
Lectures: in ENG101, Thurs 2pm-4pm
Instructor’s Name: Michael Thorn, Ph.D.
Office: Zoom link provided on D2L
Office Hours: By appointment
Instructor’s email: mthorn@torontomu.ca
Course Site (via D2L): courses.torontomu.ca
Lecture Schedule: pgs 9-11 and on D2L
Email Communication: Official TMU email accounts must be used for all electronic
correspondence. Please review the University’s email communication policy (Policy 157):
NOTE: Please include ‘SOC 202, Sec 11’ in the subject line of all emails to the instructor
followed by a brief subject line indication of what the email is about. Further details below.
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION
What is considered popular culture is up for debate. This course examines different ideas about
popular culture and how they inform our personal politics, consumption practices, and commonsense ideas about the world. We consider how different cultural industries are shaped, packaged
for consumption, but sometimes resisted. Using a critical approach we sociologically examine
cultural forms such as advertising, social activism, television, the cult of celebrity, music,
electronic and film media, leisure customs, and everyday practices.
IMPORTANT REMINDERS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This is a Lower Level Liberal Studies course: Please note that certain liberal studies courses,
due to their close relation to the professional fields, cannot be taken for Liberal Studies credit by
students in some programs. A list of these programs and the restricted courses is provided in
Table A Lower Level Restrictions in the TMU calendar:
https://www.torontomu.ca/calendar/2024-2025/liberal-studies/table_a/
Please note that Liberal Studies courses always have the designation (LL) or (UL) in their course
description in the TMU Calendar. Courses not identified as either (LL) or (UL) are NOT Liberal
Studies courses and will not be used towards the fulfillment of a Liberal Studies Requirement for
graduation purposes. Students are responsible for making appropriate course selections. Refer to
Table A (Lower Level) and Table B (Upper Level) in TMU's calendar for a complete list of
liberal studies courses: https://www.torontomu.ca/calendar/2024-2025/liberal-studies/table_b/
Code of Conduct: Students are required to adhere to all relevant TMU policies (i.e., Student
Code of Non-Academic Conduct – Policy 61 and the Academic Integrity Policy – Policy 60).
These and other policies are linked to from the D2L homepage.
Use of Computers and Social Media in Class
Students are allowed to use laptop computers and other similar devices in class just so long as
they are being used in concordance with course objectives (i.e. taking notes, or looking up
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information relevant to a class discussion). Students should not be using computers or smart
phones for their personal entertainment in class (i.e. accessing social media or texting or surfing
the web), or even to study or work on assignments for other courses or even for this course if
class time has not been devoted to that purpose by the instructor. Students should be paying
attention in class. Students caught using computing devices improperly in class, especially if in
a disruptive manner, may be asked to leave class and/or may be recorded as absent for the day.
Course Email Communication Guidelines:
1. All university email communication, with any of your instructors, must use official TMU
email accounts and must be conducted in a professional manner.
2. For this course, emails must include the course code and section number in the subject
line, followed by a brief subject line description of what the email is about. Emails that do not
include the course code and section number in the subject line, followed by a brief subject line
description of what the email is about, may not be answered. This is because emails that do not
follow these protocols are easily missed. Examples of what a proper descriptive subject line
should look like could be SOC202 Sec 11: Office Hours Appointment or SOC202 Sec 11:
Academic Consideration Verified. Subject line descriptions should be kept to four words or
less and should only address one topic.
3. For important organizational purposes, individual emails and email chains should be about
one topic and one topic only, as indicated by the subject line description. If students need to
email the instructor about a different matter, they should send a separate email with a proper
descriptive subject line. See above.
4. Additional emails about a topic already initiated or discussed via email should be sent using
the Reply function so a proper topic-specific email chain is maintained. Do not send a separate
email about a topic that already has an email chain created for that topic unless the email chain
has become too long and the instructor has requested a new email chain be created. But also, do
not introduce a new topic into an already created email chain. Send a separate email with a
new subject line descriptor for new topics. The topic of every separate email or separate
email chain should match their respective subject line descriptions. See above.
5. Emails to all instructors should be short and to the point. In other words, please respect the
instructor’s time when composing emails and do not provide any unnecessary details, including
and especially any personal information about one’s health status. As Academic Consideration
Requests are verified through the student’s home department, there should never be any reason
to reveal personal health information to instructors, including and especially mental health info.
6. For this course, any and all general questions about course policies, assignment instructions,
or course content, should NOT be emailed to the instructor but instead should be posted to the
appropriate discussion board on D2L and the instructor will respond there. In other words,
before sending any email to the instructor, please stop and ask, “Would anyone else in the
class, even one other student, benefit from knowing the answer to this query?” If your
response is “Yes, other students might benefit from this,” do NOT email the instructor. Post the
question to D2L so everyone can see the question and response. D2L discussion boards devoted
to asking the instructor questions will allow for optional anonymous posting.
Apply for Academic Accommodation:
Details concerning this process (not to be confused with Academic Consideration, which is
something else entirely—see below) are also provided through the Course Outline Academic
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Policies link on the D2L homepage (see Policy 159); however, please take special note of two
things: First, students apply for academic accommodation through Academic Accommodation
Support (AAS)—please contact them (NOT the instructor) for details or questions about the
process; Second, once your accommodation letter has been written and approved, you are NOT
required to contact the instructor of this course about it until you actually need to invoke your
accommodation (please note, however, that other instructors in other courses may have a
different policy about discussing your accommodation earlier). Students should keep a copy of
their academic accommodation letter on their computers so they can easily access it and attach
it to any email correspondence with the instructor about said accommodation. If, for example,
you have an accommodation for 25% more time to write tests, you do NOT need to inform this
course’s instructor until AFTER the announcement about the midterm has been posted
explaining how to invoke test accommodations (which will be posted one week before students
write the midterm).
Applying for Academic Consideration:
Details concerning this process (not to be confused with Academic Accommodation, which is
something else entirely—see above) are also provided through the Course Outline Academic
Policies link on the D2L homepage (see Policy 167); however, please take special note of two
things: First, students apply for academic consideration through the ACR online portal and
requests are processed and verified by their own home department—please contact them (NOT
the instructor) for details or questions about the process; Second, once consideration has been
verified by the student’s home department, the instructor will be notified. However, final
approval for all academic consideration requests resides with the instructor. To obtain final
approval, the student must email the instructor, but only after their request has been verified by
their home department. Students should NOT send any medical documentation to instructors as
documentation will already have been provided to the student’s home department through the
ACR online portal system. Instructors do NOT need to see medical documentation (unless they
are simple doctor’s notes) nor do they need to know the details of any medical conditions,
including and especially any mental health disclosures. Never, ever reveal personal and
potentially triggering mental health information to any of your instructors for any reason.
Not only do you want to protect your own privacy, you do not know how triggering revelations
might impact your instructors because you do not know what their lived experiences are.
Land Acknowledgement: Toronto is in the ‘Dish With One Spoon Territory’ and is part of a
treaty between the Anishinaabe, Mississaugas and Haudenosaunee that bound them to share the
territory and protect the land. Subsequent Indigenous Nations and peoples, Europeans, and all
newcomers have been invited into this treaty in the spirit of peace, friendship and respect.
Black Lives Matter! As an instructor in the Sociology department and a human being, I am
disturbed and appalled by the ongoing anti-Black racism and anti-Black violence in our society,
especially from institutions of power such as the police. I also recognize the existence of but am
opposed to all forms of systemic and systematic racism in our social institutions, including
universities. Sociologists should be committed to analyzing and challenging all forms of racism in
social discourses, practices, and institutions. But we should also recognize our responsibility to
provide a more equitable space that supports the full participation of the Black community, as
well as other racialized communities, including Canada’s Indigenous and Muslim communities,
and to commit to inclusivity, accessibility, equity, and anti-oppression as key learning objectives.
I am not a member of a racialized community, and as such accept and acknowledge my white
privilege; however, I am a member of the LGBTQ+ community who grew up during the AIDS
crisis. While I cannot deny my own white privilege, I do understand on a personal level what it
means to be discriminated against in both overt and implicit ways by social discourses, practices,
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and institutions of power. On this basis I express my solidarity with Black and other racialized
communities who have long experienced racial oppression in both Canada and the United States.
COURSE DETAILS
Required Readings
Haslam, J. (2016). Thinking popular culture. Pearson Canada Inc.
Course Textbook available through the University bookstore or as an eTextbook from Vitalsource.
TMU Bookstore Price – New: $67.95; Used: $51 (used copies possibly on Amazon as well?)
Vitalsource –180 day rental: $67.99
Please ensure you purchase the correct textbook. Other sections of this course taught by other
professors may be using a different textbook. Additional readings will be made available on D2L.
For information on fair dealing see: http://www.univcan.ca/fair-dealing-policy-for-universities/
Course Objectives
SOC 202 invites students to better understand the role popular culture plays in society. Today we
think of popular culture mostly in relation to consumable products of entertainment manufactured
by and in relation to the culture industry, which is certainly valid; however, this course will help
students understand that popular culture is more than just consumable entertainment for purchase.
Popular culture also includes and is comprised of: everyday activities; forms of labour and
creativity; corporate practices and economic revenue; cultural and artistic texts; ideological
positions; social and cultural representations related to class, race, gender and sexuality; modes of
social hegemony and resistance; and forms of subjectivity and identity. SOC 202 aims to elucidate
these relations using theories and tools from both sociology and cultural studies so as to provide
students with the tools they need to understand the social relations between what we call popular
culture and so-called “high” culture, folk culture, and everyday cultural practices. We will focus
in particular on forms of popular culture related to film, television, new media, music, literature,
sports, as well as some popular everyday practices. SOC 202 also aims to strengthen and improve
critical and evaluative abilities. Course readings, discussions, assignments, and group work will
help develop analytic, verbal, written, and collaborative skills.
In this class controversial subjects will be addressed and controversial video and audio clips
will be screened. Some deeply held beliefs and attitudes may be challenged. The course aims
to facilitate a better understanding of how one reads and understands popular culture, and that
often requires investigating difficult and potentially triggering issues. We will examine and
question conventional assumptions about society, many of which are deeply entrenched in our
thinking. Students may be exposed to materials or points of view they find offensive or upsetting.
Teaching Methods
This course uses readings, lectures, audio-visual presentations, group discussions, and various
forms of assignments and assessment.
• Readings: It is the student’s responsibility to complete each week’s required readings.
This syllabus is a required reading. Recommended readings are not required unless
associated with specific assignments. Some recommended readings may be referenced in
lecture but unless used in an assignment, students are only responsible for what is said
about them in class. However, choosing to read recommended readings, even a few, will
enrich your understanding of the course and may facilitate your achieving a higher grade.
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Lectures: Lectures will be delivered in person in the scheduled place at the scheduled
time. Lectures are based on themes in the readings but will also include information and
themes not explicitly outlined therein. They are not designed to summarize readings but to
provide context, clarification, and new information. Similarly, PowerPoints are not
reading summaries and should not be treated as such. Students may be tested on any
material from the readings, lectures, or PowerPoints.
Tutorials: Tutorials will be delivered in person in the scheduled place at the scheduled
time. Tutorials will serve to explain and field questions about the course and course
assignments, to have occasional assignment workshops, to catch up on lectures that
haven’t been completed, and to provide an opportunity to discuss and ask questions.
Audio-Visual Presentations: Lectures will include screenings of relevant examples from
popular culture so as to facilitate a deeper understanding of concepts and themes. Some
screenings may include controversial, upsetting, or triggering material.
Class Participation: Students are expected to attend class and to participate in this class.
Please see the Attendance/Participation assignment for details.
Assignments: Descriptions, instructions, and grading scheme for assignments are
provided below in brief and on D2L in detail. Always consult assignment instructions
before beginning work. All written assignments need to be submitted electronically on
D2L. Assignment folders will be opened on D2L for submissions, which will serve as
date-stamped proof of submission, allow for turnitin.com verification, and accommodate
the use of D2L grading rubrics. Please see the course policy for late assignments below.
Use of Turnitin.com: Written assignments will be submitted to turnitin.com. Students
who do not want their work submitted to this plagiarism detection service must, by the end
of the second week of class, consult with their instructor to make alternate arrangements.
See below for a more detailed description of how turnitin.com operates.
Evaluation
Class Attendance/Participation
Major Thesis Paper Assignments
Annotated Bibliography (1-2 pgs)
Thesis Proposal (1 pg)
Thesis Essay (1200-1500 words)
Examinations
Midterm Quiz (30 mins)
Final Exam (2 hours)
15%
Ongoing
15%
10%
25%
Due Thurs Feb 6 on D2L
Due Thurs Feb 27 on D2L
Due Thurs Apr 3 on D2L
10%
25%
Between Thurs Mar 6/Fri Mar 7 on D2L
Date TBA. Completed on D2L
Attendance/Participation – (Ongoing)
Attendance will be recorded during each class (beginning in Week 2) with a sign-in sheet and it is
the student’s responsibility to ensure that their attendance is recorded. Participation will
primarily be assessed based on class activity; however, some online discussions, making well
informed comments, and asking well informed questions online and via email, as well as coming
to see the professor during office hours or after class, can also count provided they are properly
documented. Students who participate in class will also need to document their participation by
posting on D2L. Details for how to do this will be provided in class and on D2L, but for those
who participate in class, only a very simple and short “reminder” post will be necessary. Students
who do not participate in class will need to post something more substantial to D2L for the post to
count as participation, but only students who attended at least one class for the week and signed
the attendance sheet are eligible to post to D2L for each respective week’s participation. If you
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have a learning disability or other issues that make participation in class a problem, please inform
the instructor early in the term, within the first two weeks.
Attendance and participation together count for 15% of your grade but attendance will be
weighed more heavily than speaking aloud in class. Perfect attendance can secure you an
automatic grade of 10/15 but if you wish to receive a higher grade, you will need to demonstrate
some kind of participation (see above).
To get “perfect” for attendance (10/15), students will need to have attended and paid attention to
the full lecture for at least 10 weeks across the term, not including the first week (attendance will
not be taken the first week of class but students should still attend). Students can miss one week
of class beyond the first week without having to email provided it is for a legitimate reason such
as illness. Please do NOT email the instructor when taking your illness week or if missing
class the first week. If you cannot attend additional classes beyond the first week and your one
illness week, it must be for a legitimate reason that can be documented or accounted for. Please
do NOT email the professor about missed classes unless you can provide documented proof of the
legitimacy of your absence or you have been approved for Academic Consideration. Regardless
of this course’s built-in illness week, students are strongly encouraged to attend all classes,
including the first week. Please note that the illness week should only be used for legitimate
reasons.
Please note that it is not acceptable to just show up to class to sign the attendance sheet and then
leave early without a good reason. Students caught leaving class early without a legitimate
reason may be marked absent for that day and, if caught doing so more than once, may receive 0
for attendance. Students should also not be coming to class late. Take note that students should
not be on social media, texting, or using computing devises for personal entertainment in class.
Students caught using computing devices for non-course related purposes may also be marked
absent for the day. Students should also not be working on assignments, for this course or any
other course, while in class. Please pay attention.
Important: If you are feeling sick and especially if you have flu-like symptoms or symptoms of
COVID, please do not come to class until you are feeling better and are no longer contagious. If
this occurs after you have already used up your illness week, you can either email the professor
with a simple doctor’s note (that does not include private medical information), an image of a
positive COVID test, or a verified academic consideration request. Please take note that students
may only be allowed a certain number of academic consideration requests per term.
While students can choose to apply for academic consideration for missed attendance, students
should probably only do so if missing more than one week’s worth of class after already having
used up the built-in illness week. Do NOT email the professor about attendance or apply for
academic consideration before first using the built-in illness week. Students MUST use the builtin illness week first. There will be no acceptations to this rule.
Major Thesis Paper Assignments:
Annotated Bibliography (for Thesis Essay) – (Due on D2L, Thurs Feb 6, 11:59pm)
An approximately two page annotated bibliography (single-spaced, 12-point, Times New Roman
font, APA style for references). Name, student number, course code, section number, Prof’s name,
and a unique assignment title indicating your proposed topic should be included on a cover page.
Additional information provided on D2L and in the Unit B&P Research and Writing tutorials. Do
not miss those classes! If you do miss them, get notes off a friend.
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IMPORTANT: You must hand in an Annotated Bibliography and have it graded and returned
before you hand in either your thesis proposal or your final essay.
For this assignment you need to choose a topic connected to the study of popular culture, which
will be your topic for all three Major Thesis Paper assignments. As part of your choice, you will
choose at least one pop culture object of study (i.e. a product of popular culture: a film, TV show,
video game, music album, advertisement, sporting event, social media influencer, etc.) to analyze
in relation to your topic. Your essay will be about your topic’s relationship to your pop culture
object or objects of study. Do not underestimate the importance of your pop culture object[s] of
study. In your Thesis Essay, you will analyze it or them as [a] product[s] of power relations.
Then you will research, reference, and list (using 7th edition APA style) a total of at least 4
published sources related to your topic and pop culture object of study, 1 of which needs to be a
textbook reading, and at least 3 of which need to be academic or scholarly (which can include
your textbook reading). 1 of your 4 sources, however, must be a credible non-academic source
(i.e. a news, magazine, or blog article; a government report; a private research institute report; a
TedTalk video; or something else credible). While you are required to have at least 1 textbook
reading as a source, you are allowed to have up to 2 course readings (there are additional course
readings available on D2L beyond the textbook readings) but no more (inversely, this means that
at least 2 of your 4 sources must be researched outside the course readings). In other words, you
need to list at least 3 scholarly sources, including a textbook reading, and at least 1 credible nonscholarly source. You are also allowed and encouraged to have more than the minimum required
4 sources.
You must also list and reference in 7th edition APA style your chosen pop culture object[s] of
study, which could be a film or films, a television series or episodes of a series, one or more video
games, a broadcast sporting event, a series of advertisements, an online platform or social media
influencer video or page, etc. This will be your pop culture product, which your essay will be
about and will analyze.
Please ensure sources are referenced properly in APA style and include a clickable TMU-based
DOI link or a clickable URL link. Each referenced source as well as your pop culture object[s] of
study must be followed by (i.e. below the reference) a one paragraph annotation. Each annotation
needs to include author credentials, a brief explanation of what the source is, what it
demonstrates, argues, describes, or represents, and how you plan to use it in your final project.
For more details, see the full instructions, which are posted to D2L. Please also see the
Reminders and Hints document posted on D2L below the instructions.
This assignment is worth 15% of final grade and will be graded using these criteria:
1. Appropriateness of topic and relevance of sources to topic (5/15)
2. Quality and depth of annotations, including writing in a general sense (5/15)
3. Following assignment and formatting instructions, including APA style (5/15)
Thesis Proposal – (Due on D2L, Thurs Feb 27, 11:59pm)
A one-page proposal (double-spaced, 12-point, Times New Roman font, one inch margins) with a
cover page and References page (7th edition APA style), so three pages in total. Name, student
number, course code plus section number, Prof’s name and an assignment title indicating your
topic choice are required on the cover page. Additional information provided on D2L and in the
Unit B&P Research and Writing tutorials. Do not miss those classes! If you do miss them, get
notes off a friend.
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IMPORTANT: You must hand in a Thesis Proposal and have it graded and returned before you
hand in your Thesis Essay. You must also have already handed in and had graded an
Annotated Bibliography before submitting this assignment. This assignment is designed to
lead into and prepare you for your final essay. Please see instructions for the Annotated
Bibliography and Thesis Essay before beginning this assignment.
This assignment is a 1 page proposal with a cover page and References page (3 pages in total).
You are proposing the argument and plan of argument you will make in your Thesis Essay based
on the sources and pop culture object[s] of study you choose at the Annotated Bibliography stage.
Your proposal needs to: a) introduce your topic and pop culture object[s] of study and set up your
thesis; b) Include a one sentence thesis statement following the guidelines outlined in the full
instructions (provided on D2L) and keeping in mind the reminders and hints outlined in the
document below the full instructions (also on D2L); c) provide a brief outline of how you will
argue your thesis statement and analyze your object of study; d) cite sources using APA style intext citations both in your set up and plan of argument; and e) be written in complete sentences
and paragraph form.
Your APA style References page needs to include all the sources you plan (at this point) to use
for your Thesis Essay. It needs to include at least the same minimum number and types of sources
as your Annotated Bibliography, but it should NOT include any annotations. Ideally, you will be
working with the same sources from your Bibliography, but if one or two have changed, that will
be fine. For more details, see the full instructions, which are posted to D2L. Please also see
the Reminders and Hints document posted on D2L below the instructions.
Worth 10% of final grade and graded using the following criteria:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Introduction of topic and quality of set-up for your thesis statement (2/10)
Quality and clarity of working thesis (3/10)
Quality of plan of argument (3/10)
Spelling, grammar, and punctuation (1/10)
Following assignment and formatting instructions, including APA style (1/10)
Thesis Essay – (Due on D2L, Thurs Apr 3, 11:59pm )
1200-1500 words not including long quotes, the cover page or the References page. Doublespaced, 12-point Times New Roman font, one inch margins, page numbers, and word count. Must
include a References Page using 7th edition APA style. Name, student number, course code plus
section number, and a topic-specific assignment title should be included on the cover page.
IMPORTANT: You must have handed in a Thesis Proposal and Annotated Bibliography and had
them graded before you can hand in your Thesis Essay. Please reread the instructions for both
those assignments so you understand the relationships between them and this one.
Based on the pop culture object[s] of study you chose and the research you outlined in your
Annotated Bibliography, as well as the thesis statement and plan of argument you proposed in
your Thesis Proposal, you are now following through on what you researched and proposed. You
are writing a fully cited 1200-1500 word Thesis Paper. You will argue your point of view (that is,
you will try to convince your reader that your argument is correct) using critical reason and
researched evidence, evidence that is cited and referenced using 7th edition APA style guidelines.
The structure of your paper, which needs to flow from your thesis statement, should be organized
around an analysis of your pop culture object of study using sub-arguments designed to back up
your larger argument and be rooted in reason and cited evidence. You analysis needs to unpack
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how your object[s] of study reflect[s] and is/are embedded in power relations. Your one-sentence
thesis statement needs to begin with "In this essay, I will argue that...". Your References page
needs to include at least 4 sources: at least 3 academic sources and at least 1 credible nonacademic source. At least 1 of your academic sources needs to be a textbook reading but you can
use up to 2 course readings. Each of your referenced sources needs to be cited at least once in
your paper and every source cited in your paper needs to be included on your References page.
The essay is worth 25% of your final grade. You will be graded based on the following criteria:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Clarity, quality, and depth of introduction and thesis statement (5/25)
Clarity, quality, and depth of overall argument (5/25)
Structure and organization of argument (5/25)
Quality and implementation of research (5/25)
Spelling, grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure (2.5/25)
Following assignment and formatting instructions (2.5/25)
Examinations:
Midterm Quiz – (Completed during a window open between Thurs Mar 6 and Fri Mar 7)
A 30 minute open book multiple choice/true or false test based on course material from the first
four Units of the course, not including Unit B&P. It will be worth 10% of the final grade.
Students will be graded based on whether their answers are correct or not. Students will write the
test at their convenience during a window of time specified on D2L. Students can write the test
from home, or from the library, or from wherever they are.
Important Note: Please do not book with the Test Centre for this test. They are not administering
the test. The test is online and I will accommodate students who are registered with academic
accommodation and are allowed extra time to write tests. I will provide instructions on how to
request accommodations on D2L. Please do not email me until I have posted those instructions
one week before the test.
Final Exam – (Written during the exam period)
A 2 hour open book multiple choice/true or false test based on all course material from Units 6
through 10 plus Unit B&P. It will be worth 25% of the final grade. Students will be graded
based on whether their answers are correct or not. The exam will take place during the exam
period and written on D2L. More information will be provided later in the term. Students are
reminded not to schedule vacation time during the exam period. Vacation accommodations will
not be accepted.
Important Note: Please do not book with the Test Centre for this test. They are not administering
the test. The test is online and I will accommodate students who are registered with academic
accommodation and are allowed extra time to write tests. I will provide instructions on how to
request accommodations on D2L. Please do not email me until I have posted those instructions
one week before the test.
Lecture, Reading, & Assignment Schedule
Important Notes:
** Lectures and tutorials will be held in class during scheduled class times. Most unit dates are
approximate because some units may take longer to finish than others, pushing later units to the
following weeks. Do not worry. All important material will be covered.
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** The textbook can be purchased from Vitalsource as an ebook or from the University
bookstore. Additional readings are posted through copyright fair dealing, linked to through the
library, or posted under E-Reserves Readings via D2L. All readings posted to the course website
comply with Canadian copyright law. All linked readings are freely available through the library
for registered students or online through open access. Full bibliographic information for each
posted and linked reading is available on the course website. The syllabus is a required reading.
** Please include ‘SOC 202, Sec 11’ in the subject line of all email correspondence.
Unit 1 (Jan 13 & 16): Introduction: What is Popular Culture?
♦ Required Readings:
1. Thorn. “SOC202: Popular Culture Syllabus.” (i.e. this document, the one
you’re reading right now – it’s a required reading)
2. Haslam. Chap 1 and excerpt from chap 2 (details on D2L)
Unit 2 (Jan 30 & 23): Cultural Theory: Marx & Marxism
♦ Required Readings:
1. Haslam. Chap 3 and excerpts from 4 and 6 (details on D2L)
Unit 3 (Jan 27 & 30): Cultural Theory: Mediated Communication and Culture
♦ Required Readings:
1. Haslam. Chap 7
2. Kellner. “Cultural Studies, Multiculturalism, and Media Culture.” (Posted PDF)
Unit B&P (Feb 3 & Feb 10): Researching and Writing about Popular Culture
Please take note of the unusual sequence of dates for this special unit, which is broken
up so as to accommodate review of the bibliography and proposal instructions.
♦ Required Readings:
1. Annotated Bibliography, Thesis Proposal, and Thesis Essay instructions (in syllabus)
Unit 4 (Feb 6 & 13) Cultural Theory: Structuralism and Poststructuralism
♦ Required Readings:
1. Haslam. Chaps 5, 8 (excerpt from), and 9 (details on D2L)
♦ Assignment Due:
1. Annotated Bibliography due Thurs Feb 6 on D2L
Winter Study Week: Feb 17 - 21 (No lecture/tutorial)
Unit 5 (Feb 24 & 27) – Audiences and Satire
♦ Required Readings:
1. Savage. “Audiences are Key.” (Posted PDF)
2. Clark. “Saved by Satire: Learning to Value Popular Culture’s Critique of Sacred
Traditions.” (Posted PDF)
♦ Recommended Reading:
1. Santo. “Of Niggas and Citizens: The Boondocks Fans and Differentiated Black
American Politics.” (E-Reserve Reading)
♦ Assignments Due:
1. Thesis Proposal due Thurs Feb 27 on D2L
Unit 6 (Mar 3 & 6) – Class and Politics
♦ Required Readings:
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1. Ouellette. “‘Take Responsibility for Yourself’: Judge Judy and the Neoliberal Citizen.”
(Posted PDF)
2. Kellner. “Donald Trump and the Politics of Lying.” (E-Reserve Reading)
3. Mattson. “The Perils of Michael Moore: Political Criticism in the Age of
Entertainment.” (Library ejournal link)
♦ Recommended Reading:
4. O’Connor et al. “Michael Moore: Cinematic Historian or Propagandist?” (Posted PDF)
♦ Assignments Due:
1. Midterm Test written on D2L during a set window between Thurs Mar 6 and Fri Mar 7
Unit 7 (Mar 10 & 13): Feminism and Gender
♦ Required Readings:
1. Haslam. Chaps 10
2. Irving. “Trans/gender.” (Posted PDF)
♦ Recommended Readings:
1. Ivory. “Still a Man's Game: Gender Representation in Online Reviews of Video
Games.” (Library ejournal link)
2. Buzuvis. “Law, policy, and the participation of transgender athletes in the United
States.” (Library ejournal link)
Unit 8 (Mar 17 & 20): Sexuality and Queer Theory
♦ Required Reading:
1. Haslam. Chap 11
♦ Recommended Readings:
1. Thorn. “The Governmentality of Promoting Ex-gay Change in the Public
Sphere.” (Posted PDF)
2. Thorn. “Nightmare on Gay Street: Conflating Sexuality and Gender in the
Discourse Surrounding the ‘Gayest Horror Film Ever Made’.” (Posted PDF or
Library ejournal link)
Unit 9 (Mar 24 & 27): Race and Nationalism
♦ Required Readings:
1. Haslam. Chaps 12-13
♦ Recommended Reading:
1. McKay and Johnson. “Pornographic Eroticism and Sexual Grotesquerie in
Representations of African American Sportswomen.” (Posted PDF)
Unit 10 (Mar 31 & Apr 3): Religion and Popular Culture
♦ Required Readings:
1. Rowe. “Modern Sports: Liminal Ritual or Liminoid Leisure?” (Posted PDF)
♦ Recommended Reading:
1. Thorn. “Cannibalism, Communion, and Multifaith Sacrifice in the Novel and Film Life
of Pi.” (Posted PDF)
♦ Assignments Due:
1. Thesis Essay due Thurs Apr 3 on D2L
Unit N/A (Apr 7 & 10): Course Conclusion and Catch-up
♦ Required Readings:
1. No readings
Please take note that Apr 7 & 10 will almost certainly be used to catch up on previous Units.
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Additional Course Information
Intellectual Property Policy:
You may not record, photograph, share, post, or distribute course materials with others without
permission. The unauthorized use of intellectual property of others, including your Professor’s,
for distribution, sale, or profit, including, but not limited to slides, lecture notes, presentation
materials used in and outside of class, quizzes, and assignments is expressly prohibited in
accordance with Policy 60 Academic Integrity (Sections 2.8, 2.10)
https://www.torontomu.ca/senate/policies/pol60.pdf
A Note On Grades
The following represents TMU’s official allocation of numerical and letter grades:
A+ 90-100
B 73-76
C- 60-62
F 49-0
A 85-89
B- 70-72
D+ 57-59
A- 80-84
C+ 67-69
D 53-56
B+ 77-79
C 63-66
D- 50-52
Here is how each grade can be understood in one or two words:
A+ = Outstanding A = Excellent A- = Great B+ = Very Good B = Quite Good
B- = Good C+ = Average C = Satisfactory C- = Adequate
D+ = Below Average D = Marginal D- = Poor F = Unsatisfactory
Your final grade for the course will appear on RAMSS in letter form. Participation grades will be
determined and posted to D2L at the end of the term. Written work will be graded with comments
and posted to D2L within three weeks of being submitted.
Late assignments
All assignments must be completed and submitted to D2L by their due date or a 5% per day
penalty will be applied to the assignment grade (Saturday and Sunday total 5%). A grade of zero
will be recorded for any assignment you choose not to complete. Failure to submit a final essay
will result in an automatic failure of the course. Students who know in advance they will not be
able to hand in an assignment on time may email the instructor and request an extension.
Extensions may not be granted in all circumstances but if granted will only be granted if
requested before the due date and a good reason is provided. Only under compassionate
circumstances (death in the family, serious illness, etc.) that can be supported by official
documentation will students be permitted to submit an assignment one week past the due date or
be granted a make-up test request if they did not request an extension or make-up date in advance.
Academic Integrity:
Academic integrity is integral to your learning, the credibility of your degree or certification, and
the integrity of the university as a whole. Senate Policy 60: Academic Integrity defines academic
misconduct, provides a non-exhaustive list of examples of behaviours that may be considered as
academic misconduct, and explains how academic misconduct concerns are evaluated and
decided. The entirety of the policy applies in this course. As well, please note that submitting
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work created in whole or in part by artificial intelligence tools unless expressly permitted by the
Faculty/Contract Lecturer, is considered a violation of Policy 60.
Generative Artificial Intelligence:
● The use of Generative AI (e.g., ChatGPT, Quillbot, Grammarly, Google Translate) is
prohibited and will be considered a breach of Policy 60: Academic Integrity.
● Generative AI may only be used for idea generation or as a study aid, but not for the
creation of submitted work.
● Falsified citations or misrepresentation of source material (common occurrences in text
produced by Generative AI) is a breach of Policy 60. You are responsible for the accuracy
of the work you submit.
● Submitting work that doesn’t reasonably reflect your knowledge of the material and/or the
skills being assessed is a breach of Policy 60: Academic Integrity.
Turnitin.com
Turnitin.com is a plagiarism prevention and detection service to which the University subscribes.
It is a tool to assist instructors in determining the similarity between students’ work and the work
of other students who have submitted papers to the site (at any university), internet sources, and a
wide range of books, journals and other publications. While it does not contain all possible
sources, it gives instructors some assurance that students’ work is their own. No decisions are
made by the service; it generates an “originality report,” which instructors must evaluate to judge
if something is plagiarized.
Students agree by taking this course that their written work will be subject to submission for
textual similarity review to Turnitin.com. All submitted papers will be included as source
documents in the Turnitin.com reference database solely for the purpose of comparing the
similarity of such papers. Use of the Turnitin.com service is subject to the terms-of-use
agreement posted on the Turnitin.com website. Students who do not want their work submitted to
this plagiarism detection service must, by the end of the second week of class, consult with their
instructor to make alternate arrangements.
Even when an instructor has not indicated that a plagiarism detection service will be used, or
when a student has opted out of the plagiarism detection service, if the instructor has reason to
suspect that an individual piece of work has been plagiarized, the instructor is permitted to submit
that work in a non-identifying way to any plagiarism detection service.
University Policies
Students must be reminded that they are required to adhere to all relevant university policies
found in their online course shell in D2L and/or on the Senate website.
Important Resources Available at Toronto Metropolitan University
● The University Libraries provide research workshops and individual consultation
appointments. There is a drop-in Research Help desk on the second floor of the library,
and students can use the Library's virtual research help service to speak with a librarian, or
book an appointment to meet in person or online.
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● Student Life and Learning Support offers group-based and individual help with writing,
math, study skills, and transition support, as well as resources and checklists to support
students as online learners.
● You can submit an Academic Consideration Request when an extenuating circumstance
has occurred that has significantly impacted your ability to fulfill an academic
requirement. You may always visit the Senate website and select the blue radio button on
the top right hand side entitled: Academic Consideration Request (ACR) to submit this
request.
For Extenuating Circumstances, Policy 167: Academic Consideration allows for a once
per semester ACR request without supporting documentation if the absence is less than 3
days in duration and is not for a final exam/final assessment. Absences more than 3 days
in duration and those that involve a final exam/final assessment, always require
documentation. Students must notify their instructor once a request for academic
consideration is submitted. See Senate Policy 167: Academic Consideration.
● If taking a remote course, familiarize yourself with the tools you will need to use for
remote learning. The Remote Learning Guide for students includes guides to completing
quizzes or exams in D2L Brightspace, with or without Respondus LockDown Browser
and Monitor, using D2L Brightspace, joining online meetings or lectures, and
collaborating with the Google Suite.
● Information on Copyright for Faculty and students.
● Information on Academic Integrity for Faculty and students.
Accessibility
● Similar to an accessibility statement, use this section to describe your commitment to
making this course accessible to students with disabilities. Improving the accessibility of
your course helps minimize the need for accommodation.
● Outline any technologies used in this course and any known accessibility features or
barriers (if applicable).
● Describe how a student should contact you if they discover an accessibility barrier with
any course materials or technologies.
Academic Accommodation Support
Academic Accommodation Support (AAS) is the university's disability services office. AAS
works directly with incoming and returning students looking for help with their academic
accommodations. AAS works with any student who requires academic accommodation regardless
of program or course load.
● Learn more about Academic Accommodation Support.
● Learn how to register with AAS.
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● Learn about Policy 159: Academic Accommodation of Students with Disabilities
Academic Accommodations (for students with disabilities) and Academic Consideration (for
students faced with extenuating circumstances that can include short-term health issues) are
governed by two different university policies. Learn more about Academic Accommodations
versus Academic Consideration and how to access each.
Wellbeing Support
At Toronto Metropolitan University, we recognize that things can come up throughout the term
that may interfere with a student’s ability to succeed in their coursework. These circumstances are
outside of one’s control and can have a serious impact on physical and mental well-being.
Seeking help can be a challenge, especially in those times of crisis.
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please call 911 and go to the nearest hospital
emergency room. You can also access these outside resources at anytime:
●
Distress Line: 24/7 line for if you are in crisis, feeling suicidal or in need of emotional
support (phone: 416–408–4357)
●
Good2Talk: 24/7-hour line for postsecondary students (phone: 1-866-925-5454)
●
Keep.meSAFE: 24/7 access to confidential support through counsellors via My SSP app
or 1-844-451-9700
If non-crisis support is needed, you can access these campus resources:
●
Centre for Student Development and Counselling: 416-979-5195 or email
csdc@torontomu.ca
●
Consent Comes First – Office of Sexual Violence Support and Education: 416-9195000 ext 3596 or email osvse@torontomu.ca
●
Medical Centre: call (416) 979-5070 to book an appointment
We encourage all Toronto Metropolitan University community members to access available
resources to ensure support is reachable. You can find more resources available through the
Toronto Metropolitan University Mental Health and Wellbeing website.
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