ADDRESS ONE OF THE FOLLOWING TOPICS:
1. How does functionalism explain our obsession with professional and collegiate athletics, celebrity magazines and other forms of entertainment? What are some of the "rituals" of solidarity and social cohesion? Do you participate in any of these forms of entertainment and what are your reasons for doing so? Post one item of relevant supplemental material to illustrate this approach.
2. What are some of the stereotypical popular culture representations of men and women/ sexuality? What are some of the ways in which stereotyping gender (whether men or women) is harmful? Have you even been impacted by these stereotypical representation and, if so, how? Post one item of relevant supplemental material.
Objectives:
· Describe examples of the different types of norms operative in popular culture, and how these are related to the process of social control.
· Identify the research methods used to create knowledge about popular culture.
· Apply key cultural theories and analytical dimensions for examining popular culture.
· Explain how various elements of popular culture inform or reflect our attitudes, behavior, and society and why the popular culture becomes popular.
· Illustrate diversity in popular culture and concepts of multiculturalism, ethnocentrism, and cultural relativism with reference to key stratifying factors such as gender, race, ethnicity, class, age, region and sexuality.
· Describe the cultural and social significance of popular culture in shaping the larger contemporary American society.