WMNST5100 - Taylor Swift, Gender and Communications

Course Description

This course will focus on cultural, political, and social issues that emerge in Taylor Swift's stories and in the media's representation of her (and other women) in music. We'll use a rhetorical and gender/feminist lens to examine her music, her media presence, backlash against her popularity, and representations of her in the media. We will also focus on intersections between music, popular culture, and politics. We will engage in critical assessment and discussions of Swift's music and media presence to gain an understanding of how her art expresses, encourages or discourages, and/or reflects cultural values and helps illuminate the human condition. In addition, we will learn about a variety of ways that identities, values, and political expression are communicated through her music and will learn how to critically assess and evaluate those messages. The course will use the career of Taylor Swift, as well as other artists with whom she has engaged (positively and negatively), to examine the ways that art can impact our sense of self, our identities, and even impact our political, social, and cultural values.