Scholar Commons

Professor: Jacquelyn Hendricks

Movies, television, comic books, YouTube videos, music, etc. captivate our attention at every turn. They are what we use to entertain ourselves, to relax, to relieve boredom, or just to understand what everyone is buzzing about. But can they be objects of serious scholarship? In this course, you will discover that popular media can go much deeper than you might think. These forms of entertainment can help us gain an understanding of our current culture, and can offer insight into the human condition. Through research, collaboration, critical thinking, and writing, you will become pop culture scholars. In this course, you will be learning how to write the type of academic discourse that professional scholars (i.e. your professors) create. You will focus on a single topic of your choice to research and write on throughout the class, which will go toward two class projects: a virtual academic conference and a class academic journal, Pop Culture Intersections. Extension of instruction in explanatory and exploratory academic writing principles introduced in prior courses. Activities include readings and intensive writing in a variety of topics across the curriculum with emphasis on revision of student writing through drafts, peer, and instructor review. Prerequisites: ENGL 1A and 2A. (5 units)