CMST 265 - Introduction to Popular Culture

Credits: 5
Introduces theories and practices of popular culture, their relationship to both the center and margins of popular culture, and the ways popular culture can shape our perceptions of race, class, gender, sexuality, etc. Introduces some of the important critiques of culture and covers different theories and critiques to help the students understand popular culture, the consumption of popular culture and/or the effects of popular culture in different contexts (e.g., music, film, advertising, comics, television, etc.)

Prerequisite: Eligible for ENGL 099  or instructor’s permission.

Satisfies Requirement: Humanities/Fine Arts/English and Diversity

Course Outcomes:
Students who successfully complete this class will be able to:

1. Explain theories of popular culture.
2. Evaluate the impact of popular culture in our daily lives.
3. Describe the ways popular culture can influence our perceptions and understandings of diverse populations (ethnic, religious, sexual, gender, class, etc.) 
4. Illustrate their comprehension of popular culture in broader social contexts. 

1. Create messages appropriate to the audience, purpose, and context.

2. Use, synthesize or produce needed information ethically.

3. Analyze cultural perspectives and values of a multicultural world.

• Critical Thinking - Critical thinking finds expression in all disciplines and everyday life. It is characterized by an ability to reflect upon thinking patterns, including the role of emotions on thoughts, and to rigorously assess the quality of thought through its work products. Critical thinkers routinely evaluate thinking processes and alter them, as necessary, to facilitate an improvement in their thinking and potentially foster certain dispositions or intellectual traits over time.