SOC 361 - PII Mass Media and Popular Culture

(Perspectives II course) This course examines the role of the mass media in American society and its impact on American culture from a sociological perspective. Some of the questions to be addressed in class include: What is the difference between popular culture and high culture? What role does the media play in our interpretation of the world around us? Why are we obsessed with celebrities personal lives’? Is Facebook a valuable social tool or an insipid destruction of personal ties? Why do racial and gender stereotypes on television matter? Is there any value in analyzing shows like The Real Housewives of Orange County?

Prerequisites & Notes
Course Codes: BR. Prereq: Any PI or P-EQ in Social Science.

Credits: 3