Pop Culture

Exploring “Alternative” Culture in Austin and Beyond
Faculty member teaching this course: Todd Onderdonk

This seminar will focus on the various aspects of pop culture that get labeled “Alternative,” examining these often countercultural forms of expression—including music, films, social media and online phenomena, fashion, video games, Netflix offerings—from a number of critical and appreciative perspectives. Our inquiry will be guided by student interests, and draw on Austin itself as a famously alternative city, examining its cultural offerings, communities, and “weirdness” as both myth and reality.  

Film as Text 
Faculty member teaching this course: Amy Adams

Films are a very powerful reflection of popular culture. Many rhetorical experts argue that film is one of the most powerful mediums because of its ability to deliver pathos, complex concepts, and messages — on multiple levels — all at the same time. In this seminar, we will look at some important films to see what they say about us and what we say about them.

Other Stories: Global Influence in the Arts 
Faculty member teaching this course: Michael Yang

  We often tend to see our world as a single story, one steeped in our perspective as Americans, without acknowledging the influence of the world around us. The interchange of ideas between different cultures is becoming increasingly integral as our global community expands. This seminar will ask you to think beyond the single story and examine writing, film, and other media and pop culture from the world around us.

Popular Music and Identity
Faculty member teaching this course: David Uskovich

This course explores the relationship between popular music and society.  We will look at the ways that music reflects and challenges social conditions. The course also considers the ways that different social conditions give rise to different musical genres and how those genres create communities. We will also examine how different musical genres bind communities through the dislike as well as love of particular music.

Film & Literature: Imagined Worlds and Social Justice 
Faculty member teaching this course: Cory Lock

The Hunger Games, The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Panther….the fictional worlds of stories, movies, comics, and television series offer insightful critiques of real-world problems and inspirational calls for justice.  As we encounter the imagined worlds of these creative works, you’ll develop your critical thinking skills, closely reading and analyzing texts across media and genres. Our liberal arts and social justice focus also provides a foundation for future college learning and SEU mission engagement.