https://at-ceu.studyguide.timeedit.net/modules/GENS5571?type=COREThis course is an introduction to the conceptualization of popular culture in general, and its manifestation in various genres in the various (digital, analogue, print) forms of the media through an intersectional approach. It is an exploration of the emergence and the subsequent reconfigurations of 'popular culture' as a distinct area of representation and scholarly activity. The impact of gender/sexuality relations on popular culture is the point of departure only to see their intertwined relationships with other relations of power and orders of value. It is this intersectional approach that will inform the discussions of the actual academic texts and the cultural products involved throughout the course. The theoretical discussions will be focused on the changes in the meaning and theorizations of the "representation of women" - and the contemporary ir/relevance of the category for feminist analytical purposes. There will be an emphasis on the consequences and specificities of ways of doing cultural/media analysis. The ultimate aim is to re/consider the differences between academic and popular cultural discourses of post-feminism and their viability since the turn of the century. Students will be encouraged to reread the weekly texts from within the context of their own cultural (and academic) contexts. The first three weeks are to lay down the key categories; continued with a structure of three thematic blocks. The classes will be divided into two sessions: a collective discussion of the key theoretical points in the weekly readings, followed by a 25-30-minute discussion of the students' blog/vlog entries related to the previous week's readings.