“I got a Rolls Royce ‚’cause it’s good for my voice“- Marc Bolan, T-Rex
A journey through 60 years of popular culture in its political, cultural and social context. Do you know what Two-Tone is, a Mod, a Bed-in, Psychobilly? What makes Breaking Bad such an outstanding TV series? What do popular adverts tell us about our gender roles? This course takes you through Pop history and tells you a lot about its protagonists and themes. Popular culture, like literature, is a product of the times and the environment it is created in and expresses the Zeitgeist.
What did John Lennon think of The Revolution, why was David Bowie gender-fluid long before Conchita Wurst or why does Bono Vox mean something different when he sings about LOVE than Prince? Your task will be to listen and watch, but also read about, investigate and discuss the social, political, cultural and technological environment in which popular culture is created.
Learning objectives:
After this course students can…
• understand how popular culture came about
• identify different pop movements from different decades
• analyse pop lyrics and TV shows
Forms of assessment:
- Participation, discussions
- Presentations
- Essay
