Politics Of Popular Culture

AY2019/2020 Semester 2

What do Olympic protests, Nazi fashion, Cultural Revolution operas, and The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye have in common? All are examples used in this upper-division World History course to probe the global intersections of popular culture and politics since the 19th century. By examining theatre, television, film, artworks, literature, broadcast media, sports, fashion, and other popular cultural expressions through the lens of critical theory, you will gain a better appreciation of how states, revolutionary movements, citizens, consumers, and emerging media have originated, shaped, and resolved contentious debates over popular culture. Topics include such issues as cultural appropriation, boycotts, propaganda and censorship. In the process, you will gain a deeper understanding of global social, cultural and political history and critical approaches to culture, while developing skill in the use of historical sources and in written and oral expression. This course will thus prove useful to anyone involved not only in public history but communication and the arts.