Pop Culture

Over the past two weeks, our readings and discussions have been focused on establishing a baseline for understanding popular culture. In this module, we’ll begin our tour through the four lenses by beginning with history. As we dive into the four lenses, keep in mind that each lens is framed as a way of seeing the world around us and is not necessarily tied to the associated discipline. So, looking through the historical lens isn’t just about History Channel documentaries—it’s also about how you use the lens to understand the past and the present.

Each discussion is meant to be a collaborative space for conversation in which to process the concepts within the course. To ensure an interesting and respectful discussion, you are encouraged to think creatively about your initial posts and build upon the points made by your peers. Discussing challenges that face our world often means investigating opinions and ideas different from your own. Remember to remain thoughtful and respectful towards your peers and instructor in your discussion post and replies. It is also important to review the module resources and read the prompts in their entirety before participating in the discussion.

Create one initial post and follow up with at least two response posts.

For your initial post, address the following:

Explore a contemporary area of popular culture by discussing how it came into existence.
For instance, if you were discussing comic books, you could discuss how newspapers in the late 1800s began printing comic strips, which became popular enough that comic books emerged from this practice.
How does looking through the history lens enhance your understanding of popular culture?
How does analyzing the relationship between history, culture, and popular culture have an influence on your discipline of study or chosen profession?