When we think about popular culture, we tend to identify it with mass media: TV shows, blockbuster movies, pop music and video games. But popular culture is strictly speaking culture produced by the people for the people (rather than by or for the cultural and political elites). It includes medieval morality plays, Shakespeare’s theatre, 18th century journalism, folk music, Victorian novels, the blues, comic books, punk rock and a bewildering array of other phenomena. Ironically, it doesn’t really include most mass media products, which are made “for” the people but usually not by the people.
The English department offers a wide range of courses in popular culture through the centuries. So if you’re interested studying popular culture from a literary perspective, consider taking some of these courses as part of single-major degree in English:
2000-level
- ENGL 2706Y/2707H: Popular Fiction
- ENGL 2751H Literature and Sports
- ENGL 2709H Graphic Fiction
- ENGL 2150Y/2151H: Studies in Shakespeare
- ENGL-2753H Horror, Terror, and Gothic
- ENGL 2810Y: Children’s Literature
- ENGL 2811H: Children’s Literature: Poetry, Picture Books, and Plays
- ENGL 2809H: Stage and Screen
3000-level
- ENGL 3123H: Angels and Demons, Shepherds and Shrews: Medieval
- ENGL 3153H: The Renaissance Theatre
- ENGL 3202Y/3203H: Theatre and Journalism During the Restoration and Eighteenth Century
- ENGL 3205H: Augustan Literature: Modern Laughter
- ENGL 3607H: Producing Punk
- ENGL 3707H: Literature and Globalization
- ENGL-CAST 3502Y/3503H: Contemporary CanLit (1960–Now)
4000-level
- ENGL 4150Y/4151H: Advanced Studies in Shakespeare
- ENGL 4300Y/4301H: Advanced Studies in American Literature
There are also courses in literature and popular culture offered by the Cultural Studies Department, which you might take as electives:
- CUST 2025Y: Oral Narrative
- CUST 2029Y: Science Fiction
- CUST 4029Y: Advanced Studies in Science Fiction
Alternately, if your interest in popular culture extends beyond the literary, you might consider doing a joint-major in English and Cultural Studies or English and Media Studies. The Cultural Studies department offers an array of courses devoted to the serious study of popular culture:
- CUST 2210H: Gender and Popular Culture
- CUST 2551H: Popular Culture and Modern Thought: Ideology, Language
- CUST 2552H: Popular Culture and Modern Thought: Gender, Globalization, and the Virtual
- ENGL-3533H Game Studies
- CUST 4532H Shapeshifters: Adaptations in Media and Narrative
- CUST 3543H: Music Studies: Local Roots and Global Routes
- CUST 3542H: Music Studies: The Black Atlantic
Finally, if you are interested in the complex relationship between popular culture and mass media, consider these courses offered by Cultural Studies:
- CUST 2081Y: Introduction to Film
- CUST 3081Y: World Cinema
- CUST 3082Y: History and Theory of the Cinema
- CUST 3032Y/3532H: Issues in Global Media
- CUST 3538H: Radio Studies
- CUST 3535H: Television Studies
- CUST 3545H Music and Media
- CUST 4035Y: Advanced Topics in Mass Media and Popular Culture
A degree in English literature that focuses on popular culture will be useful to students contemplating careers in writing, music, journalism, communication, publishing, politics, cultural commentary, literary studies, cultural studies or media studies.
For advice about building your plan of study in popular culture, please contact Hugh Hodges: hughhodges@trentu.ca