| Memo - Reading
for Sept. 7 This week's reading is designed to be a general introduction to the concept of "popular culture." What does the term "popular culture" actually mean? John Storey's book, Inventing Popular Culture, argues that the term does not have a single fixed meanign but that it changes (a) over time and (b) depending on one's social or political perspective. Storey himself is a scholar, in England, of what is called Cultural Studies, a field that emerged in the 1980s and 90s to analyze the production and uses of culture using a variety of tools borrowed from literary and social theory. Cultural Studies in general is more theoretical, more oriented toward the present, and less historical than our class will be, but Storey's introduction brings up important ideas for us to keep in mind. When you are reading, try not to worry about words--jargon--you do not understand. Rather, try to stay focused on the big ideas. Some questions to bear in mind as you read and prepare for class:
|