Johnson State College External Degree Program. HUM-3170-JY01 Popular Culture in America Syllabus Spring 2015

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1 Johnson State College External Degree Program HUM-3170-JY01 Popular Culture in America Syllabus Spring 2015 Instructor: Sally Sugarman address: Home telephone: FAX: Address: P.O. Box 407, Shaftsbury, VT Dates: Jan 19 to May 10 (no class Apr 6 to 12) Location: Online using Moodle ( ADA Statement: Students with disabilities who believe that they may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact JSC s Learning Specialist in Academic Services, as soon as possible to ensure that accommodations, if needed, are implemented in a timely fashion. Please call or Richard.Simmons@jsc.edu. Academic Honesty: (from JSC Catalog) Students are expected to conform to the highest standards of academic honesty in all of their academic work at Johnson State College. Academic dishonesty in any form is prohibited and unacceptable. Acts of dishonesty for which a student may be disciplined include, but are not limited to, receiving or providing unauthorized assistance on an examination and plagiarizing the work of others in writing assignments. The American Heritage Dictionary defines plagiarism in the following way: To steal or use (the ideas or writings of another) as one s own. Students are responsible for knowing what specific acts constitute plagiarism; if students are uncertain as to whether a particular act constitutes plagiarism, they should consult with their instructors before turning in assigned work. Texts: Texts are available through the JSC bookstore. Call or go to Grazian, David, Mix It Up: Popular Culture, Mass Media and Society. New York: W. W. Norton, ISBN COURSE DESCRIPTION & ESSENTIAL OBJECTIVES Popular Culture is everywhere, reflecting and shaping our lives not only in entertainment such as film, television, music, genre literature and the Internet, but in fast food franchises, malls, theme parks, and graveyards. Our views of race, gender, politics, and religion are filtered through

2 popular culture. Besides examining the history and theories of popular culture, this course will analyze the impact of specific examples of popular culture on various aspects of American life. METHODS: 1. Develop a critical approach to popular culture and its impact on society. 2. Understand the different definitions, theories and methods of studying popular culture. 3. Examine the impact of mass media and technological changes on the citizens of a democracy. 4. Investigate themes in popular entertainment such as film, television, music and genre literature that mirror changes in society. 5. Clearly articulate ideas about the effects of popular culture in responding to questions on the Discussion Forum and in assigned papers. 1. Students will respond to reading assignments on the Discussion Forum. 2. Students will view all of the materials accompanying each week s reading and discussion. 3. Students will examine examples of popular culture first hand. 4. Students will write short papers on assigned topics. 5. Students will write a review of a book chosen from the bibliography on popular culture. 6. Students will complete an individual project on a subject of their choice. ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION Participation is a measure of attendance. Students are expected to participate fully on the discussion Forum, sharing ideas with each other and with the instructor in response to the readings and the assignments. Learning is a collaborative process. Together we will generate a fresh understanding about popular culture. Students should plan to post at least six to nine times during the week between Monday and Sunday. PARTICIPATION 1. Read the assigned material, including the Weekly Update as well as view supporting videos and blogs and refer to them in your postings. 2. Contribute thoughtfully to the discussions. 3. Participate on three different days throughout each week. 4. Ask at least one relevant question about the topics being addressed. 5. Respond to at least two questions or comments made by classmates with substantive postings. Respond to all of the questions posted by the instructor. Postings made after Sunday midnight will not be graded. Postings will be evaluated on their quality. Simple statements such as I agree without providing reasons for agreeing or disagreeing are not acceptable.

3 EVALUATION: 50% - Discussion Forum 20% -Two five to seven page papers 10% - Review of book on Popular Culture 20% - Individual project on subject and format of student s choosing CRITERIA FOR A LETTER GRADE: Grade Equivalency Chart: Consistently superior A (92-100) 4.0 Consistently outstanding A- (89-91) 3.7 Above average to excellent B+ (86-88) 3.3 Above average B (82-85) 3.0 Very good to above average B- (79-81) 2.7 Average to very good C+ (76-78) 2.3 Average C (72-75) 2.0 Average to below average C- (69-71) 1.7 Below average to average D+* (66-68) 1.3 Below average D* (62-65) 1.0 Below average to failing D-* (59-61).07 Failing F* (0-58) 00 *This grade is not acceptable for any college course. Course Assignments This is a general outline of the course. Refinements will occur as the course progresses. Activities may vary, but the readings will always be reviewed so be prepared to analyze, question and apply the ideas that you are studying, If there are any problems with assignments, ask for clarification. My goal is for assignments to be teaching as well as evaluative tools. Questions will be posted each week in the Discussion Forum. Students are expected to contribute to the discussions arising from those questions, as well as to pose their own questions. There will also be a Weekly Update, orienting you to the week s work and a section that will include videos, blogs, podcasts and other material relevant to the topic of the week. This section (symbolized by a book) provides important supplementary materials for discussion. Viewing it is as important as reading the text, participating in discussion and writing papers. Assignments will be described in greater detail as they become due. You will be expected to read the Weekly Update, read the assigned text and the book resource section each week as well as contribute to the discussions.

4 Week One: (Jan ) Read: All documents located in the General section. Read and View: All the material in the book resource section Read: Weekly Update Grazian, Chapter 1 Write: A short bio on your profile page, telling who you are, what you hope to get out of this course and what your interests in popular culture are. Discussion Forum: What is Popular Culture? Week Two: (Jan. 26- Feb. 1) Read: Grazian, Chapter 2 Visit: A fast food restaurant Discussion Forum: Sports and Other Community Rituals of Popular Culture Week Three: (Feb. 2-8) Read: Grazian, Chapter 3 View: Three television commercials and three magazine ads on beauty or sex products Discussion Forum: Advertising and Popular Culture Week Four: (Feb 9-15) Read: A graphic novel or comic book View: A movie adaptation of it Write: A five to seven page paper comparing the two. Discussion Forum: How Does The Medium Affect the Message? Week Five: (Feb 16-22) Read: Grazian, Chapter 4 View: A political website. Discussion Forum: Social Interaction and Popular Culture Week Six: (Feb 23 March 1) Read: Grazian, Chapter 5 View: Either Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Bill Mahar or John Oliver Discussion Forum: Creating Popular Culture

5 Week Seven: (March 2-8) Read: A mystery, SF, romance or western novel of your choice Write: A five to seven page paper analyzing it. Discussion Forum: Popular Culture and Genre Literature Week Eight: (March 9-15) Read: Grazian, Chapter 6 Write: Proposal for final project Discussion Forum: The Business of Popular Culture Week Nine: (March 16-22) Read: Grazian, Chapter 7 View: A half hour of news broadcasts on a network station, a cable station and PBS. Discussion Forum: Popular Culture and Social Class Week Ten: (March 23-29) Read: A celebrity magazine such as People or Entertainment Weekly View: A celebrity web site Discussion Forum: Celebrity and Popular Culture Week Eleven: (March 30 April 5) Read: Grazian, Chapter 8 View: A 1930s or 1940s musical film Discussion Forum: Audience and Popular Culture (April 6-12) Spring Break Week Twelve: (April 13-19) Read: A book from the Bibliography and write a three to five page review and analysis of it. Discussion Forum: The Many Worlds of Popular Culture Week Thirteen: (April 20-26) Read: Grazian, Chapter 9 Visit: A shopping center or mall Discussion Forum: Consumption and Popular Culture

6 Week Fourteen: (April 27 May 3) Read: Grazian, Chapter 10 View: Pick a topic on YouTube and watch three videos on the topic. Facebook or another social network Discussion Forum: The Internet and Social Networking Week Fifteen: (May 4 10) Discussion Forum; New Worlds of Popular Culture Individual Project Due There is flexibility in the format for this final project. It may be a traditional paper, a power point, a web-site, a video or another format you propose and is accepted by the faculty member.