SOC SCI 172AW

AMERICAN CULTURE – FALL 2024

POPULAR CULTURE: PEOPLE, POLITICS, & POWER

COURSE DESCRIPTION

In this course, we will examine American culture through the lens of popular culture to consider how popular culture influences our individual and collective identities as well as its role in power and politics.  We’ll read about the impact of popular culture on social problems and the societal structures of poverty, racism, sexism, homophobia, and economic inequalities as explanations for the social problems we blame on the media and other elements of popular culture. In addition, we will think critically about how “America’s” changing demographics – historically and current – contribute to and influence popular culture, which in turn shapes our thinking about the causes of social problems and the power and politics involved to address those.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: At the end of this course, students will be able to :

1. Examine how popular culture shapes, reflects, and influences the construction and perception of social identities within American culture.

2. Identify and analyze the systemic structures andinstitutions that underpin and contribute to the development of social problems, and evaluate how popular culture reflects and influences these social systems.

3. Demonstrate knowledge of popular culture through clear, coherent writing, and connections to course concepts, scholarly literature, and personal experiences.

4. Assess and critique the media’s role in shaping the framing of social problems and assess media’s impact on power and political discourse.

COURSE SYLLABUS

I reserve the right to change the course syllabus, content, and readings as I see fit at any point during the quarter. I will advise you via a Canvas announcement, of any changes accordingly.

REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS

• Brandt, J., Clare, C. (2018) An introduction to popular culture in the US: People, politics, and power, Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN 1501320572

REQUIRED READINGS

• Hirschman, C. (2017). The contributions of immigrants to american culture, Daedalus. 2013, 142(3): . doi:10.1162/DAED_a_00217

• Syed, K.T. (2011). Exotic/other: Narratives of muslims, the role of media and popular culture. Cultural and Pedagogical Inquiry, 2011, 3(2),pp.30-39. University of Alberta.

REQUIRED WRITING REFERENCE

We are required to provide you with a writing guide. Instead of an additional book, the APA Style. Manual (7th edition) will be the writing reference for the course; it’savailable at www.apa.org. We will use APA (7th  ed.) style. in all written work. The 6th edition is not acceptable.

You may purchase the print version easily on Amazon or use the URL version. There will be other writing resources uploaded to Canvas.

ADDITIONAL READINGS

There maybe additional readings – either required or recommended – during the course, depending on class discussion, contemporary issues (“current events”) or to complement an understanding of the course content.

No worries, students will be notified of any additional readings via a Canvas announcement. Ensure that your notifications are updated.

EXPECTATIONS

Learning involves that we will all come to the class prepared, ready to participate, and to engage in this shared learning space, hence, you are expected to:

•  keep up with the course material each week,

•  complete assignments and take any exams on time,

•  participate in the forums – respectfully and positively,

•  abide by standards of academic honesty,

•  ask for help when you do not understand something.

COURSE FORMAT

• Assignments: You are responsible for completing the assigned readings and course

assignments. Individual assignment instructions will be provided. The reading assignments for class sessions are outlined accordingly,

• Participation: Learning is enhanced through discussion, dialogue, and respectful debate; be prepared to contribute to shared learning.

• Timing: Assignments have a due date which are indicated on the Canvas weekly course modules on Canvas.

TECHNOLOGY

File Storage

I highly recommend that you have all of your work saved in two separate places as technology   can sometimes fail us. Deadlines will NOT be extended because your computer crashed, or your Wi-Fi wasn’t working, so be sure to have backup copies (i.e., flash drive, external hard drive,

Google Drive, etc.) of your work and alternative forms of accessing the course.

Technical Glitches

I appreciate that there can be “technical glitches”, however, computer crashes, power loss,  and connection problems are not acceptable excuses for late papers. Allow yourself time to review and submit your work before the deadline to avoid problems.

COMMUNICATION

•   Class notices (e.g., class cancellation, assignment change, due date, etc.) will be sent via a Canvas announcement. Please make sure your notification settings are up to date.

• Use Canvas email to contact Dr. Espinoza or a TA, write SS172AW in the subject line.  Remember to include your name in any e-mail. 172AW is a writing class, and you are expected to write academically and professionally at all times.

•   Please be considerate of the instructor and fellow students in your communication, whether discussion posts, emails, etc.

•  Use the weekly Q & A forums for all course related questions. Don’t hesitate -- your question is important because others may have the same concern and the reply to you may benefit others.

WRITING ASSIGNMENTS

Since this course fulfills the upper division writing requirement, students will submit a minimum of 4,000 words of revised and finished work in a series of APA style. papers based on academic literature related to the textbook topics.

• All written coursework should adhere to the style. and format outlined in the 7th edition APA Manualwww.apastyle.org and as directed by the instructor. Assignments written in

MLA format will not be accepted.

•  Assignments are to be submitted by the designated due date. See Assignment Grace Period Policy on Canvas Home Page.

•  You will receive instructions and materials for the written assignments, which will be uploaded on the corresponding 172W Canvas modules.

• Students will be provided with copies of all articles necessary to complete the work in this class. Students may not use any other articles or sources unless

indicated on the assignment instructions.

•  Students are responsible for assuring that all work has been submitted as outlined on   the instructions. Be sure to confirm that assignments are uploaded correctly and in the required Word format (no PDFs, please).

•  There is the expectation that students will submit a title page and references page

(using APA 7 format) with every written assignment after the Writing Sample. The goal is to practice preparing a key component of an academic essay.

USE OF ARTIFICAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)

Artificial Intelligence (AI)I POLICY : Limited Use

A large component of the assessments in this course requires critical thinking and synthesis of   course concepts in writing. Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms such as ChatGPT could easily be used as a “student proxy” for this work. The danger in letting an AI platform. undertake the

synthesis and writing is you, as a student scholar, will not develop these important skills as part of the course learning objectives. In addition, AI tools are notable to give you a synthesis or

analysis that is specific to course concepts, frameworks, or theories.

Additionally, AI platforms such as ChatGPT are notorious for making things up, and it is difficult to ascertain if the information is corrector not. Therefore, the course policy is for students to use AI platforms on a limited basis for this course. By limited, I mean that AI can be helpful in providing a jump start to understand an idea or concept, but it can be vague, generalized information. AI can be helpful in gathering varying perspectives on a topic/issue; however, it cannot give you a synthesis or analysis of the nuances of those perspectives – that would be your work. AI information for this class is intended to be part of an argument to buildupon with other sources. And there is actually a ‘tone’ to AI tools writing that is discernable, not to mention that there is a tool that can be used to determine if the written text is from an AI tool.

Therefore, if we find that your written work is based solely on AI information, you will be ask to meet for additional clarification. It maybe determined to have points deducted.

https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/how-to-cite-chatgpt

WRITING  SUPPORT

•  Writing is an art, which like most skills requires practice, practice, and more practice. While you may not embark on research or writing other academic work, excellent writing skills are critical in the working world , i.e., the profession you choose. This applies to job cover letters, teaching statements, reports, etc.

•  During the course, you will receive writing instruction and feedback on your assignments. However,I strongly encourage you to make an appointment with a TA for support.

Remember that they are students as well and have been where you are, and nowas PhD students can provide you with valuable feedback. I recommend seeing a TA before each  written assignment (but not the day before it is due).

•  Visit the campus Writing Center, which is an excellent resource that provides multiple types of writing support. You can make an appointment and have your session remotely also.

• http://www.writingcenter.uci.edu/

• http://www.writingcenter.uci.edu/resources/resources-for-students/

SOC SCI 172AW - COURSE REQUIREMENTS & ASSIGNMENTS

(Additional instructions are provided for assignments under Assignment Prompts on the Canvas.)

• QUIZZES (72 points total)

Syllabus Quiz – 2 points (Due Oct 4)

Writing Quiz 1 – 10 points (Due Oct 4)

Reading Quiz 1 – 10 points (Due Oct 18)

Writing Quiz 2 – 10 points (Due Oct 18)

Writing Quiz 3 – 10 points (Due Nov 1)

Reading Quiz 2 – 10 points (Due Nov 8)

Writing Quiz 4 – 10 points (Due Nov 18)

Reading Quiz 3 - 10 points (Nov29)

• “THE AMERICAN DREAM” WRITING SAMPLE (1 @ 5 points)

This assignment encourages you to reflect on your perception of the American Dream and explore how and where you learned about it. This exercise will help you connect personal  experiences with broader cultural narratives and prepare you for more extensive writing  assignments in the course.

• OP-Ed Piece (1 @ 30 points)

Write 3-page essay persuading readers about a particular stance on an issue related to American culture (e.g., the impact of social media on youth, the necessity of cultural preservation). Students must incorporate concepts from the course and peer-reviewed journal articles to build their argument. This will help students develop persuasive writing skills and the ability to construct a logical argument.

• MEDIA & SOCIAL PROBLEMS CRITIQUE ESSAY (1 @ 30 points)

Choose a news outlet or media platform. and write a 3-page critique of how it frames a current social problem. Assess the impact of this framing on power and political discourse. Assess and critique the media’s role in shaping social problems.

• POPULAR CULTURE & IDENTITY ESSAY (1 @ 30 points)

Write a 3-page paper on how specific elements of popular culture have influenced your personal or group identity in American society.

• FINAL PAPER OUTLINE (1 @ 40 points)

Write a paper to help you clarify your final paper topic, formulate a research question, and outline your approach for your final paper on how popular culture shapes, reflects, and influences the construction and perception of social identities within American culture. By completing this assignment, you will receive feedback to guide your research and writing   process.

• FINAL PAPER (100 points)

Write an 8-10 page research paper on a specific aspect [popular culture?] of American culture. Students should choose a topic that interests them, conduct thorough research using scholarly sources, and present a well-structured argument. Possible topics include:

o The impact of immigration on American culture

o The evolution of American music genres

o Therole of sports in American society

o The influence of technology on American daily life

o Representation of American identity in literature and film/ Perception of American identity by non-Americans

SUMMARY OF COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

COURSE GRADES

Course grades are based on a classic grading scale corresponding to the Total Points 312 possible. Ido not grade on a curve.

Also, monitor your points. You can seeyour progress on Canvas. Please do not email the

instructor with “How many points doI have?” – unless there is a discrepancy. In that case, you have one week (7 days) after receiving a grade/score for an assignment to discuss any

discrepancies. Also, remember to keep copies or other records of coursework including assignments, essays, discussion comments, and feedback.

Course Grading Approach

There will be rubrics for individual assignments, however, written work will be assessed based on

3 general areas:

1) Content - Does the work submitted address the topic or question presented? Does the work integrate the course material and other related sources?

2) Coherence - Does the work submitted flow logically? Are concepts presented and articulated in an organized manner? Are transitions to new points/paragraphs     clear?

3) Construction - Has the work submitted been edited for grammar, spelling, and

syntax? Are references and citations formatted correctly? Did you consult with the APA guide?

ASSIGNMENT GRACE PERIOD

All students have the option to submit all writing assignments up to  one day (24 hrs) after the deadline without receiving any point penalty.  One additional day (or 48 hours after due date) will result in points deducted as follows:

• - 1Point Deduction for 5-10 point assignments.

• - 2 Points Deduction for 15-30 point assignments.

• - 3 Points Deduction for 40-50 point assignments.

You do not need to notify the professor or TAs if you choose to take advantage of this grace period—Canvas will remain open for submission for two days after the deadline. The grace period DOES NOT apply to quizzes.