SOC 202 - 061: POPULAR CULTURE
FALL 2012
Department of Sociology
Ryerson University
Tuesday, 1-3pm, ENGLG02
Wednesday, 2-3pm, POD 484
Course Director: Dr. Matthew Flisfeder
Email: mflisfed@arts.ryerson.ca
Office Location: JOR 322
Office Hours: Wednesday, 1-2pm
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course brings sociological insights to popular culture in its complex and multiple dimensions.
Focusing on electronic media, popular music, film, fashion, and cyberspace it examines how
contemporary sights, sounds and images impact on human beings and their awareness. Special
attention is given the cult of the celebrity, popular culture and social control, and the mediated
event.
The central focus of this course is the critique of ideology in popular culture. Students will develop
skills in critical thinking, adding to their ability to critically challenge capitalist ideology, as well as
ideologies of race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, and nationality, all of which can be found in
everyday popular culture.
Restriction: Criminal Justice, Politics and Governance, Psychology, Sociology, Undeclared Arts.
NOTE: Some items in this course outline may be subject to change, in which case changes will be
discussed at least two weeks prior in class and posted on Blackboard.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOK
Susie O’Brien and Imre Szeman, Popular Culture: A User’s Guide 2nd Ed. (Toronto: Nelson,
2010).
COURSE ASSIGNMENTS AND EVALUATION SCHEDULE
Assignment
In-Class Reading Response
Essay Proposal
In-Class Ideological Analysis
Final Essay
Final Exam
Participation
Due Date
September 26th
October 16th
October 31st
November 20th
TBA
Cumulative
Grade Weight
10%
10%
20%
25%
25%
10%
In-Class Response – 10%
There will be a short, 30-minute, in-class reading/writing response assignment on September 26th.
This assignment will be based on the section ‘Coffee as Popular Culture’ in Chapter 1 of Popular
Culture: A User’s Guide. This is a modified open-book assignment. You are allowed to use your
textbook only (you will not be permitted to use your lecture notes or other materials).
In-Class Ideological Analysis – 20%
There will be a short, 45-minute, in-class ideological analysis on October 31st. This analysis will
be based, primarily, upon the lecture and readings from the following units: Representation and
Power, and Subjectivity and Identity. A short clip will be shown in class and students must apply
the theory discussed in these two units to an ideological analysis of the visual representations
shown in the clip. This is a closed-book assignment. You may not use textbooks or your notes.
Essay Proposal – 10%
Students must submit a one-page description detailing their proposed essay topic. Your proposal
should explain your topic, your main argument/thesis, concepts you will be using from the
course and how you will use them to develop your argument. Your proposal must be in full
sentences not in point form. In addition, you must include an annotated bibliography for three
(3) secondary sources that you intend to use for your final essay. Your annotated bibliography
should be between 1-2 pages, and must follow your essay proposal.
Final Essay – 25%
For your final essay, you must choose a popular culture artefact (a movie, TV show,
song/band/singer/performer, website, advertising/brand campaign etc.), and analyze it or interpret
it critically using theoretical approaches studied in class. Your essay must concentrate on the
reproduction of dominant ideology in the popular culture artefact of your choice, and may
investigate possibilities for resistance or subversion of the dominant ideology latent within popular
culture. In addition, you must use (at least) three (3) secondary sources from academic journals
(not books) to support the arguments you make in your essay. Your essay must be between 5-6
pages (not including your bibliography/works cited).
GUIDELINES FOR WRITING ASSIGNMENTS:
All written assignments must begin with an introduction that explains the main argument or thesis
that is going to be developed in the rest of your essay. Arguments must then proceed logically and
build upon your main argument/thesis. Your essay will be marked based on your understanding of
the assignment, your ability to synthesize ideas from course readings/lectures, the clarity and
structure of your arguments, the originality of your ideas/arguments, and your ability to present
your own voice in written form. Higher grades will be awarded to work that goes above and
beyond the requirements for the assignment.
All writing assignments must be double-spaced, in 12pnt Times New Roman or Cambria font,
with page numbers. Margins must be set at 1.25”. Please ensure that your name is on the first
page of each written assignment. Bibliographies or works cited should appear on a new page at
the end of your work. Use an MLA/APA style guide for all written assignments. Please use
internal citations; endnotes are preferred over footnotes, and should only be used to add detail that
is not directly part of your main argument, but which you feel adds depth to your topic. All written
2
assignments must have a title (be creative). Title pages are not necessary. All pages must be
stapled; assignments bound by a paper clip or folder will not be accepted.
Final Exam – 25%
The Final Exam is cumulative and covers material from the entire course.
Format: TBD
Participation – 10%
You are expected to attend classes regularly, and be prepared to make informed contributions to
class discussions, having completed assigned readings prior to the classes for which they are
assigned. Participation is also based upon timely and appropriate submission of assignments and
appreciable endeavours to improve academic and learning skills. This mark does not include
attendance, however, poor attendance will result in a lower participation mark.
POLICY ON LATE ASSIGNMENTS
Written assignments are due at the beginning of class on their respective due dates (any work
handed in after the class lecture has already begun is considered late). Late assignments will be
deducted two marks per day (off of your final grade). Students should submit all late assignments
(hard copy) to me in person but may send a digital copy by email beforehand for date verification
only. Hard copies must be received no later than one week following the submission of a digital
copy. A hard copy of your assignment is required for grading. Late assignments will not be
accepted one week after the scheduled due date (unless there is a legitimate reason, which will
require official documentation).
Extensions: If you feel that you might need an extension on an assignment, please speak with
me at least one week prior to the assignment deadline. Granting of extensions is solely at the
discretion of your Professor, and only if, after speaking with me, I feel that your reason for needing
an extension is justified (‘too much school work’ or ‘too busy with your part-time job’ are not
justifiable reasons for needing an extension). Otherwise, extensions will be granted only under
extenuating circumstances, in which case official documentation will be required in order to justify
the submission of a late assignment. Extensions will not be granted on the due date or after the
deadline has already passed.
CLASS CONDUCT AND EXPECTATIONS
You are expected to conduct yourself in a manner respectful of your instructor and your fellow
students. This includes, at a minimum:
 Arriving on time
 Turning off your cell phone upon arrival
 If late, entering the classroom with the least disruption
 Not interrupting or speaking when someone else has the floor
 Using your laptop appropriately (i.e. not for email)
3
EMAIL
I will only respond to email on regular weekdays, before 5pm. You must use your Ryerson email
account when sending emails. I will only respond to emails sent from a Ryerson email account.
Please review the course outline and Blackboard before asking questions by email. I will not
respond to email questions if the answers can easily be found in course materials. Please
keep emails short. A long email indicates that it might be a better idea to make an appointment to
see me during my office hours. I will not respond to mark/grade inquiries by email.
WEEKLY READINGS & CLASS SCHEDULE
Sept. 4th/5th: Introducing Popular Culture, Part I
Sept. 11th/12th: Introducing Popular Culture, Part II
Readings:
Popular Culture: A User’s Guide, Chapter 1: Introducing Popular Culture (34 Pages)
Sept. 18th/19th: Popular Culture and History
Readings:
Popular Culture: A User’s Guide, Chapter 2: The History of Popular Culture (32 Pages)
Sept. 25th/26th: The Culture Industry
*In-Class Reading Response Assignment at the Beginning of Class on September 26th
Readings:
Popular Culture: A User’s Guide, Chapter 4: The Production of Popular Culture (40 Pages)
Recommended Reading:
Max Horkheimer and Theodor Adorno, “The Culture Industry: Enlightenment as Mass Deception”,
Available at http://marxists.org/reference/archive/adorno/1944/culture-industry.htm (or on My
Courses)
Oct. 2nd/3rd: Consumer Culture
Readings:
Popular Culture: A User’s Guide, Chapter 5: The Consuming Life (34 Pages)
Recommended Reading:
Guy Debord, Society of the Spectacle, theses 1-53, Available at
http://marxists.org/reference/archive/debord/society.htm (or on My Courses)
Karl Marx, “The Fetishism of the Commodity and Its Secret”, Available at
http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1867-c1/ch01.htm#S4 (or on My Courses)
Screening:
No Logo (Dir. Sut Jhally, 2003)
4
Oct. 9th/10th: NO CLASS – READING WEEK
Oct. 16th/17th: Representation and Power
*Essay Proposals Due at the Beginning of Class on October 16th
Readings:
Popular Culture: A User’s Guide, Chapter 3: Representation and the Construction of Social Reality
(41 Pages)
Screening:
Representation & The Media (Dir. Sut Jhally, 1997)
Oct. 23rd/24th: Subjectivity and Identity
Readings:
Popular Culture: A User’s Guide, Chapter 6: Identity and the Body (35 Pages)
Oct. 30th/31st: Nationalism and Community
*In-Class Ideological Analysis at the Beginning of Class on Oct. 31st
Readings:
Popular Culture: A User’s Guide, Chapter 7: Identity and Community (38 Pages)
Nov. 6th/7th: Subcultures and Countercultures
Readings:
Popular Culture: A User’s Guide, Chapter 8: Subcultures and Countercultures (29 Pages)
Screening:
Hype! (Dir. Doug Pray, 1996)
Nov. 13th/14th: Space and Place
Readings:
Popular Culture: A User’s Guide, Chapter 9: Spaces and Places of Popular Culture (33 Pages)
Screening:
Radiant City (Dirs. Jim Brown and Gary Burns, 2006)
Nov. 20th/21st: Globalization and Popular Culture
*Final Essays Due on November 20th
Readings:
Popular Culture: A User’s Guide, Chapter 10: Globalization and Popular Culture (31 Pages)
5
Nov. 27th/28th: Social Media as Popular Culture
Readings:
TBD
*Final Exam TBA
Students are required to adhere to all relevant university policies, such as the Student Codes of
Academic and Non-academic Conduct, Examination Policy, and Undergraduate Academic
Consideration and Appeals.
The guide to academic integrity is available on the Academic Integrity website:
http://www.ryerson.ca/academicintegrity/.
All students must have a Ryerson email account. The instructor will only respond to email
inquiries from a Ryerson email address.
RYERSON ACADEMIC POLICIES:
For more information on Ryerson’s academic policies, visit the Senate website at
http://www.ryerson.ca/senate/policies/.
Course Management Policy No. 145
Student Code of Conduct No. 60
Student Code of Non-Academic Conduct No. 61
Examination Policy No. 135
Policy on Grading, Promotion, and Academic Standing Policy No. 46
Undergraduate Academic Consideration and Appeals Policy No. 134
Accommodation of Student Religious Observance Obligations No. 150
6