SOC 032 PZ -The Culture Industries

Institution: Pitzer

Description: Studying the culture industries from a sociological perspective requires focusing on social behavior and identity formation. This course will therefore examine culture industries by exploring the valuation of creative labor (talent, its agents, and identities portrayed on screen), productions (films and TV series), and the organizations that create these productions (studios and their corporate owners). Our aim is to assess both the form and content of a highly volatile industry, one that feeds entertainment to global publics via the sale of spectacle and aspirational identities. Key questions include: How are cultural products like blockbuster films judged and valued? What roles do celebrities play in society as symbols of affluence and high status?

Prerequisite(s): See the current course schedule for registration restrictions.

For up-to-date information on current course offerings and details, please refer to the Pitzer class schedule on MyCampus2 Portal .