Identity and Popular Culture: Which Hogwarts House are You?

Designed for anyone who has ever taken an online quiz to determine if they are a Stark or a Lannister, a Ravenclaw or a Hufflepuff, this critical media studies course explores the relationship between popular media and identity—examining how popular media produces, affirms, negotiates, and (sometimes) subverts traditional notions of identity. We will look critically at representations of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, class, nationality, and spirituality across a range of different media genres—television, film, video games, and toys.  We will look at historical texts and franchises like Star Trek or Doctor Who; children’s media such as Disney films, cartoons, and toys; video games like the Dragon Age series, Minecraft, and a variety of console and independent games; and contemporary television shows like Dear White People, Modern Family, Rick and Morty, and The Handmaid’s Tale. We will look not only at the media objects themselves but at the cultures and practices that grow up around them, discussing the activities of media audiences and consumers through the theoretical paradigm of Fan Studies. By the end of the class, students will have read and applied basic theories of film analysis and cultural studies to address questions such as: How do popular media function in everyday life? What role does it play in how we see ourselves, others, and the world around us? Do media simply reflect culture or shape it?