This course will investigate the relationship between American culture and popular culture art forms. Students will investigate the poetics of pop culture artifacts, such as literature, television, and film, as well as emerging media forms, such as the meme, web videos, and smart phone apps. Beginning with a theoretical approach to cultural studies, students will then investigate expressions of cultural identity through a reading of thepop culture artifacts. The course schedule will follow a historical trajectory of American popular culture since WWII. Students will study significant events that contributed to generational destinctions (e.g. WWII and the Greatest Generation, 9/11 and the Millenials), and the popular culture that shaped, defined, and emerged 126 from these generations. The final project will be a multimedia essay/presentation that will require students to analyze recent popular cultural artifacts in an attempt to identify and trace emerging cultural values.