SOCI 2705A | DIGH 2705ADepartment of Sociology and Anthropology Carleton University

Summer 2019

Popular Culture in the Digital Age

In this course we will explore the sociology of popular culture; that is, the ways in which as-pects of contemporary society are reflected in cultural artifacts and practices, and, in turn, the ways in which those things influence society.

In exploring this relationship, we will first dif-ferentiate popular culture from other forms of culture before examining the ideological ef-fects of cultural artifacts, the nature of those artifacts as commodities, and who produces pop culture. We will also try to understand why we like the things we like, and how globalization and digi-tal technologies are affecting the production and consumption of culture around the world. The course will conclude by looking at the rise of dystopian themes in pop culture and possi-ble directions for the future.

Prerequisite(s): SOCI 1001 and SOCI 1002, or SOCI 1003 [1.0], or ANTH 1001, or ANTH 1002.

Instructor: Dr. Joel Z. Garrod joel.garrod@carleton.ca

Location: Southam Hall 404 Mon/Wed 14:35 – 17:25

Office Hours: Loeb A701 Mon/Wed 13:00 – 14:00

Course Objectives

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All readings can be found on CULearn.

I truly believe that this course is relevant to your lives. If, at any time during this course, you feel that what we’re learning isn’t useful, I urge you to put up your hand and ask me: “Why should I give a damn?”

I’ll gladly take time to explain why I believe what we’re learning is important for you to know. And if I can’t explain why, I’ll amend that section of the course.

By the end of this course, you should have:

• A broad grasp of the history and development of pop culture

• Knowledge of the various social forces that shape pop culture

• Knowledge of how pop culture is produced and consumed

• The ability to critically interpret pop culture and how we interact with it

Requirements

Attendance is absolutely vital to this course, and will be a necessary component to getting a good grade. Attendance at all classes is expected unless docu-mentation explaining an absence can be provided. In return for attending the course, I promise to make it interesting, and worthwhile. If you are unable to at-tend class regularly, I recommend you do not take this course.

The Decoding Paper will assess your understanding of Stuart Hall’s encoding/decoding model by asking you to analyze a recent news article and provide dif-ferent interpretations as to how the text might be un-derstood or ‘decoded’ by different social groups. Due July 29

The Project Runway Paper will assess your ability to apply theories and concepts from the course to con-temporary media by asking you to provide a critical analysis of an episode of Project Runway. The episode will be viewed in class. Due August 14

The Take-Home Exam will assess your understanding of the course material from the entire term. You will be asked to answer a single question in essay format. Due August 23

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Double-spaced, 12 point, Times

New Roman font

All citations in APA Style

Late items marked down 5%

per day

Grading

√ Attendance: 10%

√ Decoding Paper: 20%

√ Project Runway Paper: 30%

√ Take-Home Exam: 40%

Class Schedule

Date Topic Readings

July 3 Introduction Syllabus

July 8 What is Pop Culture? Szeman, I., & O’Brien, S. (2017). Introducing popular culture. Popular culture: A user’s guide, international edition. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Blackwell, 1–29.

Macdonald, D. (1953). A theory of mass culture. Diogenes, 1(3), 1–17.

Williams, R. (1974, November). On high and popular culture. New Republic. Retrieved from https://newrepublic.com/article/79269/high-and-popular-culture

Optional:

Williams, R. (1976). ‘Culture’ and ‘masses’. In R. Guins & O. Zaragoza (Eds.), Popular culture: A reader. London: Sage, 25–32.

July 10 Pop Culture as Commodity Marx, K. (1867). The fetishism of commodities and the secret thereof. Capital: Volume one. Retrieved from https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1867-c1/ch01.htm#S4

Debord, G. (1967). Commodity as spectacle. Society of the spectacle. Retrieved from https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/debord/society.htm

Adorno, T. (1975). Culture industry reconsidered. New German Critique, 6, 12–19.

Date

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July 15 Culture and Ideology Marx, K., & Engels, F. (1845). Ruling class and ruling ideas. The German ideology. Retrieved from https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1845/german-ideology/ch01b.htm

Hall, S. (1977/1993). Encoding/decoding. In S. During (Ed.), The cultural studies reader (2nd edition). London: Routledge, 507–517.

Castleberry, G. (2016). Understanding Stuart Hall’s ‘Encoding/Decoding’ model through TV’s Breaking Bad. In K. Roberts & J. Kickly (Eds.), Communication theory and millennial popular culture: Essays and applications. New York: Peter Lang, 84–95.

Optional:

Williams, R. (1976). ‘Culture’ and ‘ideology’. Keywords: A vocabulary of culture and society. London: Fontana/Croom Helm, 76–82 and 126–130.

July 17 The Reproducibility of Cultural Artifacts

Films:

Ways of Seeing

Vice: 3D Printing Guns

Benjamin, W. (1936). The work of art in the age of mechanical reproduction. Retrieved from https://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/works/ge/benjamin.htm

Greenfield, A. (2017). Digital fabrication: Towards a new political economy of matter. In, Radical technologies: The design of everyday life. New York: Verso, pp. 77– 100.

July 22 The Value of Art in an Age of Digital Reproduction

Film: The Price of Everything

None

Topic ReadingsDate

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July 24 Internet Memes Shifman, L. (2014). Memes in digital culture. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press, pp. 1–35.

Miltner, K. M. (2014). “There’s no place for lulz on LOLCats”: The role of genre, gender, and group identity in the interpretation and enjoyment of an Internet meme. First Monday, 19(8).

Panneton, D. (2019, March 22). Online memes may seem frivolous, but they normalize hate – with potentially deadly results. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-online-memes-may-seem-frivolous-but-they-normalize-hate-with/

July 29 Smartphones and Selfies

Films:

Generation Like

Vice: Mobile Love Industry

*Decoding Paper Due

Greenfield, A. (2017). Smartphones: The networking of the self. In, Radical technologies: The design of everyday life. New York: Verso, pp. 16–32.

Murray, D. (2015) Notes to self: The visual culture of selfies in the age of social media. Consumption Markets & Culture, 18(6), 490–516.

Giroux, H. (2015). Selfie culture in the age of corporate and state surveillance. Third Text, 29(3), 155–164.

July 31 Project Runway Viewing None

August 5 Civic Holiday No Class

Topic ReadingsDate

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August 7 Celebrity in the Digital Age Gamson, J. (1994). Industrial-strength celebrity. Claims to fame: Celebrity in contemporary America. Berkeley: University of California Press, 57–78.

Marwick, A. & Boyd, D. (2011). To see and be seen: Celebrity practice on Twitter. Convergence, 17(2), 139–158.

Marshall, P. D. (2014). Tools for the analysis of celebrity as a form of cultural power. Celebrity and power: Fame in contemporary culture. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 51–76.

August 12 Gaming and Augmented Reality

Dyer-Witherford, N., & De Peuter, G. (2009). Biopower play: World of Warcraft. In, Games of empire: Global capitalism and video games. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, pp. 123–151.

Greenfield, A. (2017). Augmented reality: An interactive overlay on the world. In, Radical technologies: The design of everyday life. New York: Verso, pp. 59–76.

August 14 Dystopia in Pop Culture

*Project Runway Paper Due

*Take-Home Exam Revealed

Queenan, J. (2015). From Insurgent to Blade Runner: Why is the future on film always so grim? Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/19/dystopian-films-blade-runner-insurgent-future-grim

Fisher, M. (2009). It’s easier to imagine the end of the world than the end of capitalism. Capitalist realism. London: Zero Books, 1–11.

Christopher, D. (2015). The capitalist and cultural work of apocalypse and dystopia films. Cineaction, 95, 56–65.

Topic ReadingsDate

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Obligatory Remarks

Course Requirements & Methods of Evaluation In accordance with the Carleton University Undergraduate Calendar Regulations, the letter grades assigned in this course will have the following percentage equivalents:

A+ = 90-100 B+ = 77-79 C+ = 67-69 D+ = 57-59 A = 85-89 B = 73-76 C = 63-66 D = 53-56 A - = 80-84 B - = 70-72 C - = 60-62 D - = 50-52 F = Below 50 WDN = Withdrawn from the course DEF = Deferred (See above)

Academic Regulations, Accommodations, Plagiarism, Etc. University rules regarding registration, withdrawal, appealing marks, and most anything else you might need to know can be found on the university’s website, here: www.calendar.car-leton.ca/undergrad/regulations/academicregulationsoftheuniversity/

You may need special arrangements to meet your academic obligations during the term. For an accommodation request, the processes are as follows:

Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities The Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities (PMC) provides services to students with Learning Disabilities (LD), psychiatric/mental health disabilities, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), chronic medical conditions, and impair-ments in mobility, hearing, and vision. If you have a disability requiring academic accommoda-tions in this course, please contact PMC at 613-520-6608 or pmc@carleton.ca for a formal evaluation. If you are already registered with the PMC, contact your PMC coordinator to send your Letter of Accommodation at the beginning of the term, and no later than two weeks be-fore the first in-class scheduled test or exam requiring accommodation (if applicable).

*The deadline for contacting the Paul Menton Centre regarding accommodation for final ex-ams for Early Summer 2019 exam period is May 31 and for Full/Late Summer 2019 exam period is July 26.

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For Religious Obligations: Please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, visit the Equity Services website: www.carleton.ca/equity/wp-content/up-loads/Student-Guide-to-Academic-Accommodation.pdf

For Pregnancy: Please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, visit the Equity Services website: www.carleton.ca/equity/wp-content/up-loads/Student-Guide-to-Academic-Accommodation.pdf

For Survivors of Sexual ViolenceAs a community, Carleton University is committed to maintaining a positive learning, working and living environment where sexual violence will not be tolerated, and where survivors are supported through academic accommodations as per Carleton's Sexual Violence Policy. For more information about the services available at the university and to obtain information about sexual violence and/or support, visit: www.carleton.ca/sexual-violence-support

Accommodation for Student Activities Carleton University recognizes the substantial benefits, both to the individual student and for the university, that result from a student participating in activities beyond the classroom experi-ence. Reasonable accommodation must be provided to students who compete or perform at the national or international level. Please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. https://carleton.ca/senate/wp-content/uploads/Accommo-dation-for-Student-Activities-1.pdf

Plagiarism Plagiarism is the passing off of someone else's work as your own and is a serious academic offence. For the details of what constitutes plagiarism, the potential penalties and the proce-dures refer to the section on Instructional Offences in the Undergraduate Calendar. Students are expected to familiarize themselves with and follow the Carleton University Student Acade-mic Integrity Policy (See https://carleton.ca/registrar/academic-integrity/). The Policy is strictly enforced and is binding on all students. Academic dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated. Students who infringe the Policy may be subject to one of several penalties.

What are the Penalties for Plagiarism? A student found to have plagiarized an assignment may be subject to one of several penalties including but not limited to: a grade of zero, a failure or a reduced grade for the piece of aca-demic work; reduction of final grade in the course; completion of a remediation process; re-submission of academic work; withdrawal from course(s); suspension from a program of study; a letter of reprimand.

What are the Procedures?

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All allegations of plagiarism are reported to the faculty of Dean of FASS and Management. Documentation is prepared by instructors and departmental chairs. The Dean writes to the student and the University Ombudsperson about the alleged plagiarism. The Dean reviews the allegation. If it is not resolved at this level then it is referred to a tribunal appointed by the Sen-ate.

Assistance for Students: Academic and Career Development Services: http://carleton.ca/sacds/ Writing Services: http://www.carleton.ca/csas/writing-services/ Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS): https://carleton.ca/csas/group-support/pass/

Important Information: •Student or professor materials created for this course (including presentations and posted notes, labs, case studies, assignments and exams) remain the intellectual property of the author(s). They are intended for personal use and may not be reproduced or redistributed without prior written consent of the author(s). •Students must always retain a hard copy of all work that is submitted. •Standing in a course is determined by the course instructor subject to the approval of the Faculty Dean. This means that grades submitted by the instructor may be subject to revi-sion. No grades are final until they have been approved by the Dean. •Carleton University is committed to protecting the privacy of those who study or work here (currently and formerly). To that end, Carleton’s Privacy Office seeks to encourage the implementation of the privacy provisions of Ontario’s Freedom of Information and Protec-tion of Privacy Act (FIPPA) within the university. •In accordance with FIPPA, please ensure all communication with staff/faculty is via your Carleton email account. To get your Carleton Email you will need to activate your MyCar-letonOne account through Carleton Central. Once you have activated your MyCarleton-One account, log into the MyCarleton Portal. •Please note that you will be able to link your MyCarletonOne account to other non-MyCar-letonOne accounts and receive emails from us. However, for us to respond to your emails, we need to see your full name, CU ID, and the email must be written from your valid My-CarletonOne address. Therefore, it would be easier to respond to your inquiries if you would send all email from your connect account. If you do not have or have yet to activate this account, you may wish to do so by visiting https://students.carleton.ca/

Important Dates

Summer 2019

May 6 Early summer and full summer courses begin. May 17-29 Fall/Winter and Winter term deferred final examinations will be held. May 20 Statutory Holiday. University closed. May 24 Last day for a full fee adjustment when withdrawing from early summer

and full summer courses (financial withdrawal). Withdrawals after this date will result in a permanent notation of WDN on the official tran-script.

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June 11 Last day for summative tests or examinations, or formative tests or ex-aminations totalling more than 15% of the final grade for early summer courses before the official examination period (see Examination Regu-lations in the Academic Regulations of the University section of the Undergraduate Calendar).

June 18 Last day of early summer classes (NOTE: Full summer classes resume July 2). Last day for academic withdrawal from early summer courses. Last day for handing in term assignments, subject to any earlier course deadline.

June 19-20 No classes or examinations take place. June 21-27 Early summer final examinations and mid-term examinations in full

summer courses may be held. Examinations are normally held all sev-en days of the week.

July 1 Statutory Holiday. University closed. July 2 Late summer courses begin.

Full summer courses resume. July 19-21 Early summer term deferred final examinations to be held. July 22 Last day for a full fee adjustment when withdrawing from late summer

courses (financial withdrawal). August 5 Civic Holiday. University closed. August 7 Last day for summative tests or examinations, or formative tests or ex-

aminations totaling more than 15% of the final grade for late summer and full summer courses before the official examination period (see Examination Regulations in the Academic Regulations of the University section of the Undergraduate Calendar).

August 14 Summer term financial holds preventing access to grades through Car-leton Central and the release of official documents will be applied to accounts with an outstanding balance. Last day of late summer and full summer classes. Classes follow a Monday schedule. Last day for academic withdrawal from late summer and full summer courses and any other courses that end this term. Last day for handing in term assignments, subject to any earlier course deadline.

August 15-16 No classes or examinations take place August 17-23 Final examinations in late summer and full summer courses may be

held. Examinations are normally held all seven days of the week. August 23 All take home examinations are due on this day, with the exception of

those conforming to the Examinations regulations in the Academic Regulations of the University section of the Undergraduate Calendar/General Regulations of the Graduate Calendar.

September 13-15 Late summer and full summer term deferred examinations will be held.

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