Popular Culture
The study of popular culture involves exploring the meaning and function of widely recognised cultural items and concepts. This includes a key debate in sociology and cultural studies – the relationship between culture, production and consumption, and some of the major trends affecting contemporary life, such as globalization, economic restructuring, the impact of new information and communications technologies (ICTs) on everyday life and the emergence of new forms of identity in the wake of such developments. Popular culture ‘texts’ might be newspapers and television, advertisements, objects, photographs and museum exhibits.
Case studies include the Sony Walkman, indicating how and why cultural practices and institutions have come to play such a crucial part in our lives, and introducing some of the central ideas, concepts and methods of analysis involved in conducting cultural studies.
Course Materials: Learning resources from Open University undergraduate and business courses, including print, video, DVD and software. Please note that if you enrol as an Open University student, these resources are included in your student mailings.
Other Resources: Study guides, teaching guides, videos and DVDs not specifically related to Open University courses and Open University Gift Vouchers
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