SOCI 1109 Pop Culture, Celebrity & Fandom
Popular culture informs and expresses our humor, politics, fears, and fantasies; it reveals the lines of solidarity and exclusion in our social groups. Drawing on a variety of sociological perspectives, this course examines pop culture phenomena from sports fans to social media influencers to the Marvel Comics Universe. Particular attention is paid to cultural production, fandom, and celebrity culture. At the end of this course, students will be able to critically examine objects of popular culture, the processes by which these objects are created and disseminated, and the many ways consumers respond to and interact using these objects.