POPULAR CULTURE

COLLEGE: College of Liberal Arts DEPARTMENT: Department of Communication

COURSE CODE: COM618M TERM: Second Term, 2020/2021
CLASS DAYS & TIME: TH; 18:00-21:00 ROOM: Zoom/Online
INSTRUCTOR: Bruno Lovric, PhD EMAIL: bruno.lovric@dlsu.edu.ph

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course aims to analyze critical issues and approaches in the study of popular culture. We are
surrounded by popular culture, and we both use it and are used by it. Popular culture influences
how we imagine, think and feel about ourselves, our lives, our society, our world and our future. This
course will use daily experience and cultural practices as the starting points for exploring the various
roles popular culture plays in our lives. The principles and techniques of critically analyzing popular
culture are mediated in this course by examining popular culture as it is represented in different
academic disciplines and theoretical frameworks, such as – but not limited to – English, Cultural
Studies, History, Anthropology, Gender Studies, Communications and Sociology. The adoption of
cross-disciplinary approaches aims to widen, enhance and enrich student knowledge, higher-order
thinking and intellectual horizons. The use of both locally and globally situated popular cultural
references in this course aims to motivate students to think and learn beyond their immediate to
global popular cultural practices.

OBJECTIVES:
 Heighten cultural conceptualization, consumption and awareness.
 Develop critical and analytical skills through reading, writing, observation, and participation.
 Integrate individual cultural experience into the learning process.

FINAL COURSE OUTPUT:

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
1. Understand basic theoretical approaches in the field of popular culture studies.
2. Evaluate critically issues related to popular culture and develop higher-order thinking skills
by doing so.
3. Identify and evaluate the popular cultural elements in daily experiences and practices using
a communicative and collaborative format for information exchange.
4. Apply and reflect on theoretical frameworks in understanding popular cultural practices.
5. Cultivate and reflect on both local and global perspectives on popular culture.

REQUIRED READINGS:
Textbook - You are required to acquire the following textbooks:
 Grazian, D. (2017). Mix It Up: Popular Culture, Mass Media, and Society (Second Edition). W.
W. Norton & Company.
 Storey, J. (2021). Cultural Theory and Popular Culture: An Introduction (5th Edition) 5th
(fifth) Edition by Storey, John [2009] (5th ed.). Longman.

Articles and Chapters - All additional articles, book excerpts, cases, and multimedia listed on the
course schedule will be posted to Animospace. Readings not included in the initial syllabus will be
provided later in the semester.

REQUIREMENTS AND ASSESSMENTS:

1. A multiple-choice Quiz I. (10%)
 2. A multiple-choice Quiz II. (10%)
3. Storey Chapter Presentation [Group Project]. (20%)
4. Final Paper. (30%)
5. Final paper presentation. (10%)
6. Participation and attendance. (20%)

GRADING BREAKDOWN
Participation & attendance -- 20% of Final Grade
Due: Ongoing-- Participation & attendance
You are expected to attend all classes and to log in on time. Frequent absence from class or being
constantly late will seriously affect your final grade. Success in this class is dependent on active
participation in discussions and activities. Our goal is not to memorize the material supplied in the
readings but to understand how it can be applied effectively. To that end, you will be required to
participate in class discussions and activities during each session. Your contributions should show
clear understanding of the readings and subjects at hand; apply a framework or criteria for analyzing
a topic; and/or help make connections among ideas, readings, or experiences we discuss.
Participation grade also involves thoughtful contributions on Discussion Boards, quizzes, and other
Animospace sections. Moreover, please note that attendance is not the same as participation, which
involves active discussion. In this class, you are expected to complete the required readings prior to
each class meeting. This is the only way to ensure your active and informed participation in the class.
During classes, you will have to: (1) participate in discussions and ask questions; (2) take part in
individual and group exercises; and (3) present your work to the class.

Storey Chapter Presentation-- 20% of Final Grade

Due: --
Each student will be assigned to read a chapter from Storey’s Cultural Theory and Popular Culture:
An Introduction and to either present it or act as discussant. Detailed guidelines for this assignment
are on Animospace.

MC Quizzes (Midterm and Final) -- 20% of Final Grade

Due: Apr 7 & TBA
The format of two online quizzes will be multiple choice, true/false, and fill in the blank questions.
Format specifics will be discussed in class one week before the exam. Each quiz will have around 10
questions covering readings, guest lectures and class discussions.

Final Paper -- 40% of Final Grade

Due: May 19
Each student will write a 10-page research paper, following the appropriate academic style and
requirements. Attention will be paid to the quality of writing, including the spelling, syntax, and
grammatical structure of the paper. Maximum number of points is 30 points. Moreover, each
student is expected to present research findings during a 5-minutes presentation on May 24.
Maximum number of points for presentation is 10. More details about these assignments can be
found on Animospace.

LEARNING PLAN:
(NOTE: This schedule is subject to change.)

Week Lecture Topics Readings

1 -Introduction to the course Read Full Syllabus
Mar 4
- What makes popular culture popular?
 2 -The Functionalist Approach From Grazian text: “We are the Champions” (Ch 2)
Mar 11

3 - The Critical Approach From Grazian text: “Welcome to the Machine” (Ch 3)
Mar 18

4 - The Interaction Approach From Grazian text: “Come Together” (Ch 4)

Mar 25

5 Holly Week Break No class

Apr 1
6 - How the media and culture industries From Grazian text: “We can work it out” (Ch 5)
Apr 8 work

- Creating Popular Culture

From Grazian text: “Nobody knows” (Ch 6)

MC Quiz I

7 - Popular Culture and the Search for From Grazian text: “Don’t Stop Beliving” (Ch 8)
Apr 15 Authenticity
Midterm Paper Due by 14:30/ Animospace

8 - Landscapes of Cultural Consumption: From Grazian text: “Uptown Funk” (Ch 9)

Apr 22 Urban Entertainment

9 -Reading Week Independent Learning: No class

Apr 29

10 -The Globalization of Popular Culture From Grazian text: “Pop Goes the World” (Ch 9)
May 6

11 -TBA TBA
May 13
-Holiday?

12 -Independent Learning No class

May 20
Final Paper Due

13 -Final Presentations Presentation Due (Start of the class)

May 27
14 Final Exams Final Exams
Jun 2
MC Quiz II

15 Grade Consultation Day No Class

Jun 10