Note: This schedule will evolve throughout the semester, while offering additional resources and material for consideration.

Week one

• Online
  • There is no online element for week one
• In class
  • Course introduction
    
• Reading for next week
  • "Jersey Jetsam"
  • "What is Culture?"
• Buy book: Inventing Popular Culture by John Storey
  

Week two

• Online
  • Lecture: Representation in culture
• In class
  • Defining and classifying culture
• Reading for next week
  • Storey, Chapter 1
  • "You Saw What in 'Avatar'?"
  • "Media and Culture": page 1-2, page 3-4
    

Week three

• Online
  • Take the IAT Test
  • Exercise: React to your IAT on the course discussion board
• In class
  • Archetypes
• Reading
  • Storey, Chapter 2
  • "The Basic Issues of Representation" and "Globalization"
  • Globalization, con't

Week four

• Online
  • Lecture: Disintermediation, Semiotics, Modality
• In class
  • Intertextuality
• Reading
  • "How to do cultural studies: Semiotics"
  • "Technoculture"
  • "The New Disorder" about film narrative
  • "A Lonesome Death" about Dylan's song from class

Week five

• Online
  • Material review
• In class
  • Exam one
• Reading: Storey, Chapter 3
  

Week six

• Online
  • Lawrence Lessig speech
  • Article defending copyright duration
  • Songs with copyrighted samples
• In class
  • Subcultures
• Reading:
  • Storey, Chapter 4
  • Article about the subcultures of The Big Lebowski
  • Article about Jay-Z & authenticity

Week seven

• Online
  • PBS video: The Merchants of Cool
• In class
  • Culture and ideology
• Reading
  • R. Crumb's "Diatribe on Modern Music" (.zip file)
  • "The influence of Antonio Gramsci" and "Hegemony"
  • Gramsci and intellectuals
    

Week eight

• Online
  • Discussion assignment
  • Watch "Cartoon Wars #1 & #2"
  • Post your responses to Vista
  • Exam grades are also available on Vista
• In class
  • Satire in mass culture; cultural hegemony
• Reading: Storey, Chapter 5

Week nine

• Online
  • Lecture: Crime and mass culture
• In class
  • Brand culture
• Reading: Storey, chapter 6
  

Week ten

• Online
  • Lecture: Economics and mass culture
• In class
  • Howard Beale and political entertainment
• Reading: "The White Album" review and archetype status
  

Week eleven

• Online
  • Material review
• In class
  • Exam two
• Reading: Storey, chapter 7
  

Week twelve

• Online
  • Lecture: Early film
• In class
  • Mass cultural artifacts
• Reading: Klosterman, Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs (ch. 3)
  

Week thirteen

• Online
  • Early film, part two
• In class
  • The hillbilly & media
• Reading
  • Klosterman, Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs (ch. 9)
  • Douthat, "Not Even in South Park"

Week fourteen

• Thanksgiving break
  

Week fifteen

• Online
  • Film history, continued
• In class
  • Exam three
• Reading: Review material
  

Week sixteen

• Online
  • Final exam material review
• In class
  • Optional material review

Finals week

• Final exam: Thursday, Dec. 16, 2-3:50 in regular classroom

Critical dates

Sept. 23: Exam one
Nov. 4: Exam two
Dec. 3: Exam three
Dec. 16: Final exam

Contact

Prof. Matt Blake
Tehama Hall 339
530-898-3608
mdblake (at) csuchico.edu