ENG 2220 Literature and Popular Culture

This course will introduce students to the study of popular culture with an emphasis on literature. Through close consideration of a variety of genres, students will explore how our ways of seeing the world are influenced by the production and consumption of popular culture, with particular attention to the ways popular forms of entertainment with literary components - such as television, film, comic books, and novels - allow us to understand the social, cultural, and economic forces that shape our lives. By interrogating the distinction between popular and high culture, students will think critically about the complex social dimensions of contemporary culture. The course will utilize theories and concepts that are commonly applied to the study of popular culture, including feminism, Marxism, post-colonialism, structuralism and post-structuralism, and critical race theory. The particular content of the course is open and will reflect the instructor’s interests and area(s) of specialization. Possible sources might include comic books and graphic novels, popular fiction, folklore, new media, television, and modern day adaptations of the classics. This is a writing intensive course. Prerequisite(s): ENG 1500
Credits: 3.0