Universität Wien

124266 AR Cultural/Media Studies 1/2 (AR) (2014S)

American Popular Culture: TV Series in Focus

5.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 12 - Anglistik
Continuous assessment of course work

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 25 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Friday 14.03. 12:00 - 14:00 Raum 1 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-05
  • Friday 21.03. 12:00 - 14:00 Raum 1 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-05
  • Friday 28.03. 12:00 - 14:00 Raum 1 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-05
  • Friday 04.04. 12:00 - 14:00 Raum 1 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-05
  • Friday 11.04. 12:00 - 14:00 Raum 1 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-05
  • Friday 02.05. 12:00 - 14:00 Raum 1 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-05
  • Friday 09.05. 12:00 - 14:00 Raum 1 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-05
  • Friday 16.05. 12:00 - 14:00 Raum 1 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-05
  • Friday 23.05. 12:00 - 14:00 Raum 1 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-05
  • Friday 30.05. 12:00 - 14:00 Raum 1 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-05
  • Friday 06.06. 12:00 - 14:00 Raum 1 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-05
  • Friday 13.06. 12:00 - 14:00 Raum 1 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-05
  • Friday 20.06. 12:00 - 14:00 Raum 1 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-05
  • Friday 27.06. 12:00 - 14:00 Raum 1 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-05

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

Popular culture has long been frowned upon as a topic of academic inquiry. Yet as something that plays a vital role in the formation and stabilization of contemporary societies - through mass media, as a transnational commodity, and as a normative force - it bears a variety of meanings pertinent to Western cultural discourse. The people, John Fiske writes, make popular culture at the interface between everyday life and the consumption of the products of the cultural industries […]. Relevance can be produced only by the people, for only they can know which texts enable them to make the meaning that will function in their everyday lives. In this course, we will look at the intersections of popular culture and ideology, with a particular focus on negotiations of race, gender, class, and national identity in contemporary television series. Theories by Neil Postman, Louis Althusser, Tudor Oltean, John Fiskey, John Storey and others will provide a tool kit for the analysis of a variety of TV series, such as popular cultural texts, including advertisement, and television series such as Homeland, Breaking Bad, Mad Men, The Big Bang Theory, or Modern Family. Familiarity with one or several of these series should be given, and students should be prepared to face extensive theoretical reading material and a number of extracurricular sessions for the viewing of episodes.

Assessment and permitted materials

Regular attendance, active participation, presentation, written final exam

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Students will be familiarized with contemporary theories on ideology and mass media and apply these theories to current popular television series. Particular attention will be paid to codes of race, gender, class, and national identity.

Examination topics

Interactive class discussions, team work, presentations, visual media

Reading list

All theoretical texts will be provided in a reader (CopyShop).

Association in the course directory

Studium: MA 844;
Code/Modul: MA5; MA6, MA7;
Lehrinhalt: 12-4261

Last modified: Mo 07.09.2020 15:33