Instructor:  Paul Schauert
Course Time: TBA
General Education: Art
Term: Winter 2013

DESCRIPTION:
Pop music can be much more than a catchy melody or a danceable beat for mere entertainment. From American Civil Rights and Vietnam protest songs, subversive sambas in Brazil, poetic and powerful Palestinian and Asian hip-hop, anti-corruption and anti-Apartheid Afro-pop to surreptitious salsa in Latin America, popular music has been inextricably connected
to politics and social movements throughout the globe. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, this class will examine how popular music has voiced the concerns of the masses and the marginalized to bring about social awareness and change.

This seminar-style course is intended for students of the honors college, and will challenge them to critically think about, and listen to, a variety of politically driven music from the U.S. and abroad. We begin with discussions of theoretical frameworks for analyzing politics and popular music, exploring definitions and basic concepts that will be deployed throughout the semester. After investigating the effects of 9/11 on the global music industry, including issues of censorship and Arab identity, we move to an exploration of music’s role in the major socio- political movements in American history. From slave songs to Bob Dylan’s lyrical diatribes lambasting the military-industrial-complex, students will gain a greater appreciation for the ability of popular music to shape American social history. Subsequently, the course examines popular music and politics in Europe, Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East, illustrating the profound ways in which this expressive form has impacted both local and global socio-political realities.

Grade Summary:

• Attendance/participation 15%
• Exams (4) Paper Proposal Paper
• Journal (online)
• 40% (10% each) 5%
• 20% 20%