MS 089D PO

In this course, we will survey the concept of popular culture throughout American history. How have people received, remixed, and reinterpreted cultural forms and practices? How did demographic shifts and technological innovations play a role? Methodologically, we will draw from such disciplines as media studies, sound studies, history, anthropology, and musicology, combining secondary literature with our own close readings of primary texts, recordings, oral histories, and archival collections. We will examine such topics as Colonial era Native American Psalmody, 19th century riots over Shakespeare, Amateur Night at the Apollo, Star Trek slash fiction, and social eating live streams, in order to better understand the ways in which people use culture to construct, develop, or enforce notions of citizenship, identity, and belonging.