Soc 105 Syllabus

| Syllabus College of Humanities SOC/105 Version 5 Introduction to Popular American Culture | Copyright © 2011, 2010, 2006, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2000, 1999 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. Course Description

This is an introductory course on modern American culture. The course focuses on the interactions between social forces such as advertising, media, and lifestyle and cultural trends in modern American society. Students are asked to cast a critical eye on current trends and changes in our culture. Policies

Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents:

University policies: You must be logged into the student website to view this document.
Instructor policies: This document is posted in the Course Materials forum.

University policies are subject to change. Be sure to read the policies at the beginning of each class. Policies may be slightly different depending on the modality in which you attend class. If you have recently changed modalities, read the policies governing your current class modality.

Course Materials Petracca, M., & Sorapure, M. (2007). Common culture: Reading and writing about American popular culture (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

All electronic materials are available on the student website.

Week One: Overview of Culture | | Details | Due | Points | Objectives | 1.1 Describe the different types of culture. 1.2 Describe the influence that popular culture has on personal decision making. 1.3 Identify major trends in popular American culture. | 10/25 | | Reading | Read Ch. 1 of Common Culture. | 10/25 | | Reading | Review this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings. | 10/25 | | Participation | Participate in class discussion. | 10/25 | 4 | Discussion Questions | Respond to weekly discussion questions. | 10/25 | | Learning Team Instructions Learning Team Charter | Resource: Learning Team ToolkitComplete the Learning Team Charter. | 10/29 | | Individual Popular American Culture Paper | Record your interactions with popular culture by documenting different ways that you consume popular culture. Examples might include, but are not limited to, what television shows you watch and why, the types of clothes you like to wear and what they say about you, or what magazines you buy and why. Prepare a 350- to 700-word paper in which you examine popular American culture. In your essay, answer the following questions: What is culture? What is popular culture?What are three major trends in popular American culture?How does popular American culture affect personal decision making? * Include the journaling activity with your essay submission.Format your papers consistent with APA guidelines. | 10/25 | 10 |

Week Two: Consumption and Advertising | | Details | Due | Points | Objectives | 1 2.4 Identify the concepts of consumption and conspicuous consumption in popular culture and mass media. 2.5 Describe the influence of globalization on popular consumption and advertising. 2.6 Explain the relationship between media messages and the formation of cultural values. | 11/1 | | Reading | Read Ch. 2 of Common Culture. | 11/1 | | Reading | Read Ch. 3 of Common Culture. | 11/1 | | Reading | Review this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings. | 11/1 | | Participation | Participate in class discussion. | 11/1 | 4 | Discussion Questions | Respond to weekly discussion questions. | 11/1 | | Individual Consumption and Mass Media Worksheet | Complete the University of Phoenix Material: Consumption and Mass Media Worksheet, available on the student website. | 11/1 | 10 |
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Week Three: Popular Music and Popular Literature | | Details | Due | Points | Objectives | 2 3.7 Describe the roles that popular music and literature have played in the development of American popular culture. 3.8 Identify trends in the consumption and production of popular music and literature. | 11/8 | | Reading | Read Ch. 4 of Common Culture. | 11/8 | | Reading | Review this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings. | 11/8 | | Participation | Participate in class discussion. | 11/8 | 4 | Discussion Questions | Respond to weekly discussion questions. | 11/8 | | Individual Popular Literature Paper | Choose a piece of popular fiction—novel, short story, graphic novel, or comic book—and research the material through the lens of popular culture and its effect on society. Prepare a 700- to 1050-word analysis that includes a critique of that work and a commentary on the influence of the work in popular culture. Address the following:Identify the literary production you chose to focus on. Provide a brief overview of what the piece is about, the author’s background, and how the piece fits or does not fit with other literature of that genre. * What is the cultural significance of the work? Reflect on whether the piece is considered economically successful or if it has fan followings. * What cultural values are reinforced or challenged in the work? Consider the following examples: How the Harry Potter novels are encouraging young adults to read Does the Twilight series reinforce or challenge traditional gender roles? The quest for truth in the novels of Dan Brown, author of The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons Review Ch. 1 in the text for background on developing a literary analysis. | 11/8 | 10 | Learning Team Popular Music Presentation | Choose a genre of popular music and trace its history and development in popular culture. Prepare a 12- to 15-slide Microsoft® PowerPoint® presentation that addresses the following questions: * What are the cultural influences of the music? Does the music come from a particular time or region that makes it unique? What is the cultural heritage of this music? What qualities are present as a result? * What are the venues for consumption of the music like? What attracts the fans to these venues? Venues might include large or small concert halls, local bars and clubs, iTunes or MySpace, or local or national television shows. * In what ways do cultural values about race, gender, sexuality, and class difference shape the music? * What aesthetic values are prevalent in the genre you chose? Describe the sound and feel of the music. How are the aesthetic values reflected in the lyrics or messages of the music? * What groups or subcultures does the music tend to appeal to? Why? * What trends are emerging in the consumption and production of popular music in general, and specifically with the musical genre you are focusing on? * Include at least one sound clip of a song from the genre you chose. Explain the significance of the song in the context of your presentation. Note: Explicit or offensive music must be put in a historical context and examples should be used appropriately. Format your presentation consistent with APA guidelines, including proper citation for your sound clips. Present your Popular Music Presentation.These are 15 to 20 minute oral presentations accompanied by Microsoft® PowerPoint® presentations. | 11/8 | 15 |
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Week Four: Film and Television | | Details | Due | Points | Objectives | 3 4.9 Describe the role that film and television have played in the development of popular American culture. 4.10 Identify popular trends in film and television. 4.11 Assess the influence of film and television on constructions of individual identity. | 11/15 | | Reading | Read Ch. 3 of Common Culture. | 11/15 | | Reading | Read Ch. 7 of Common Culture. | 11/15 | | Reading | Review this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings. | 11/15 | | Participation | Participate in class discussion. | 11/15 | 4 | Discussion Questions | Respond to weekly discussion questions. | 11/15 | | Individual Film and Television Worksheet | Complete the University of Phoenix Material: Film and Television Worksheet, available on the student website. | 11/15 | 10 |
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Week Five: Sports, Games, and Social Media | | Details | Due | Points | Objectives | 4 5.12 Analyze the role of popular sports and games in popular culture. 5.13 Describe the meaning of communities in popular culture. 5.14 Explain how social communities can be built around sports and gaming cultures. 5.15 Analyze the role of the Internet and social media on globalization and the expansion of communities. | 11/29 | | Reading | Read Ch. 5 of Common Culture. | 11/29 | | Reading | Read Ch. 6 of Common Culture. | 11/29 | | Reading | Read this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings. | 11/29 | | Participation | Participate in class discussion. | 11/29 | 4 | Discussion Questions | Respond to weekly discussion questions. | 11/29 | | Individual Technology and Online Communities | Imagine you have a foreign-exchange student visiting from a rural area where there is no Internet service. He has noticed and heard a lot about social networking and online communities but does not understand what they are. You want to explain to him the role of the Internet and social media in popular American culture.Create a multimedia presentation that depicts the use of social media and the Internet in popular American culture.Address the following in your presentation: What is the importance of social media in today’s society? How is it used and by whom? What would be the effect on society if social media were suddenly removed? * What do online communities mean for popular culture today? How has this changed over the past 10 years? In what ways are online communities accessed and expanded? * What role does the internet and social media play in globalization and the expansion of communities? Select a multimedia presentation tool. Examples of multimedia presentation tools include the following: Voki™ speaking avatarsMicrosoft® PowerPoint®Prezi™ presentationsVoiceThread™ collaborative multimedia slide showsDigital Storytellersm moviesGlogster™ interactive postersWebsites Present your activity using your chosen multimedia tool. These are oral presentations of approximately 15 to 20 minutes. | 11/29 | 10 | Learning Team Role of Sports in Popular Culture Paper | Select one of the following contemporary issues in sports and obtain faculty approval for your choice: Gender equality in sportsRace and sportsThe politics of sportsAthletes as role modelsWealth and power in sportsThe business of sportsCompetiveness in youth sports Prepare a 1,050- to 1,400-word paper in which you research the proposed topic and provide a summary of your findings. Provide a brief history of the topic and its current state in popular sports. Construct your own argument about the influence the issue has on sports, its fans, athletes and imagined communities. Make recommendations about how to consume and participate in sports responsibly, whether watching or playing. Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. | 11/29 | 15 |
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Optional Discussion Questions Week One Discussion Questions

How do popular culture trends affect your personal decision-making process? Is it possible to escape the consumption of popular culture? *
What is a trend? What makes a trend different from a fad? What are some examples of trends and fads? *
Why would it be important to study trends from a business perspective? What do trends tell us about Americans and American popular culture? *
What is your personal definition of popular American culture? How does that differ from the textbook’s definition? Why do you agree or disagree with the textbook’s definition? *
What are countercultures and subcultures? How are these different from popular American culture? What effect do they have on popular American culture? Provide an example of a counterculture or subculture and discuss its impact on society.

Week Two Discussion Questions What is globalization? What is an example of how globalization has changed the way people communicate? *
What is ethnocentrism? Are ethnocentric values reflected in mass media? If so, provide examples. If not, why not? *
In what ways are the values of conspicuous consumption reflected in media advertising, including print and electronic media? Provide an example to illustrate your understanding of conspicuous consumption. *
Provide an example a cultural value being challenged or reinforced in media messages. How did this change your opinion about your cultural values and media messages? *
In what ways do multinational corporations use the media to improve the public image of the company in the time of crisis? Provide an example.

Week Three Discussion Questions

Think of a writer who has a large following and fan base in popular literature. What sets the work of that writer apart from other literary productions? Explain your answer. *
Is the growth of e-publishing good for the development of new literary talent? If so, explain how and why. If not, explain why not. *
How have talent-based reality shows changed the development of new talent in the music industry? *
How can music serve as a guide for the collective memory of a particular time in cultural history? Provide an example and explain your answer. *
Discuss the role of race and gender in the consumption of popular music. How does where people come from, or how they identify themselves, relate to musical tastes?

Week Four Discussion Questions

What specific beliefs, actions, and types of relationships do reality television shows encourage? Provide an example and explain your answer. *
Think about your favorite television show. What makes that show appealing to you? Place it in the context of other shows of a similar genre. Does this show offer a new or different perspective on a traditional theme? Be specific in your answer. *
Discuss the role of violence in film. Does violence in film encourage violence in the real world? Explain your answer. *
In what ways do films and television shows relay messages about cultural norms? Provide an example of a cultural norm that was reiterated or challenged through film or television.

Week Five Discussion Questions

Did you or anyone in your family play sports as a child? If so, what did you learn or gain from the experience? *
Elite athletes are often used as celebrity endorsers in commercials and print ads. What messages are sent to consumers about body image, beauty, and health and fitness as a result? *
Describe how professional and collegiate sports use media to sustain and foster fan-based communities. *
Discuss the role of privacy in the development of social media networks such as MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter. *
What lessons or values about self-expression and socialization do people learn through social media? *
What challenges are presented to law enforcement, schools, and families as a result of the spread of the Internet as a form of communication? *
Define imagined communities. What is the difference between an imagined community and a traditional community? What are the benefits and drawbacks of an imagined community?

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