Popular Culture

"Comic Books, Geek Culture, and the Fandom Imaginary" explores some of the conventional framings of “fandom” (from comic book obsessives to cosplayers) and the cultural histories that sustain it. It also explores the dark side of these dynamics, looking at what can happen when fandom turns toxic in pop [...]

"Fandom, Social Media, and Authenticity in the Digital Age" focuses your attention on the interconnected dynamics of identity, representation, interpretation, and self-reflection. It asks the question: how, where, and with whom do we inhabit the worlds of fandom and popular culture in the digital age? We will explore [...]

In "Fandom, Community, and Identity in Popular Music," you will explore the intersections of fandom and popular culture using pop music as a framework. You will apply your skills of self-reflection and close reading/analysis to a few case studies of pop musicians and the ways in which their art [...]