The students who have succeeded in this course;
At the end of the semester, the students
1. will learn the definition of and the basic pillars of popular culture in addition to its main themes, issues, subjects and paradigms,
2. will have an insight and idea as to how American film is using the basics of popular culture in presenting the United States of America to the viewers and how certain institutions of the USA, like education, religion, the law, family are manifested via popular culture images, symbols, signifiers etc.,
3. will have developed the ability to analyze and synthesize works of popular culture, its images, symbols, main pillars, and signifiers and also how they can be used or manipulated for artistic goals or ideological aims,
4. will be able to analyze the strategies and the discourse of such works using popular culture paradigms,
5. will have developed the skill to see centered around certain concepts rather than to look at a work of art,
6. will be able to transfer the knowledge presented in the analytical discussions in class to other fields, by means of writing critical, comparative-contrastive essays in their exams,
7. will have an insight into some other related fields like sociology, psychology, literature, visual and virtual arts, commercials, architecture etc.,
8. will have developed an awareness towards basic issues in the world they live in as they will have developed the habit of looking into matters via a critical eye.
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Week |
Subject |
Related Preparation |
1) |
Introduction & definition of popular culture & ubiquity of popular culture, power of the media, the rise to fame and money, American dream of success and popular culture, stories of Rags to Riches. |
-Class Discussion: Popular TV series, programs
-Film for class discussion: Tootsie
-Comparative discussion with Grease & Saturday Night Fever, West Side Story, Magnolia.
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2) |
Basic characteristics and pillars of Popular Culture and the & replication myth and the necessity of creating a Hero |
-Film for class discussion & analysis: Truman Show
-Comparative discussion with Reality Bites & Show Time, Elvis: The Early Years, 15 Minutes, Mask: From Zero to Zero
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3) |
De-mythification of the Myths of Individual Opportunity, Pursuit of Happiness and Progress and the Myth of the American Dream of Success |
-Film for class discussion: Requiem for a Dream
-Comparative discussion with The Pursuit of Happiness, Dream Girls, Follow that Dream, The Food Nation.
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4) |
Patterns & archetypes (of fear& terror; apocalyptic thinking and binary oppositions; labyrinth, cell; utopia/dystopia) |
-Film for class discussion: Swordfish
-Comparative discussion with: Fahrenheit 9/11 and Signs, Donnie Darko, Independence Day, The Shining, The Exorcist , Omen sequels, Carrie, The Tree of Life, Melancholi
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5) |
Pillars of Popular Culture (Demos, Ethnos: People, Race & Groups) |
-Film for class discussion: Fight Club
-Comparative discussion with Mississippi Burning, The Joy Luck Club, Color Purple
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6) |
Pillars of Popular Culture: Theos, God, Faith, Religion |
-Film for class discussion: Seven
-Comparative discussion with The Mission (Dir. Roland Joffe) or City of Angels, Bruce Almighty, The Celebrity, The Da Vinci Code, From Within
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7) |
Pillar of Popular Culture: Logos: & the Power of Words, and Symbols, Freedom of Conscience & Expression) |
-Film for Class Discussion Fahrenheit 451
Comparative Discussion with It Happened Here, Alphaville, 1984, Metropolis
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8) |
Pillars of Popular Culture (Heros; The Absolute Maybes; Eikons/Icons and the American Institutions; and the hero myth, the savior/ monomyth) |
-Film for class discussion: Matrix Trilogy I
-Comparative discussion with Avatar, The Superman, Batman, Braveheart, Spartacus (Kubrick), Taxi Driver, King Kong, The Chronicles of Riddick. Marvel, The Smurfs
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9) |
Popular Myth of the Happy Model Family |
-Film for class discussion: American Beauty
-Comparative discussion with Tideland, A Home at the End of the World.
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10) |
The Myths of Gender & Sexual Roles and Problems of Identity; Who am I This Time? |
-Film for class discussion: Flawless or Being John Malkovitch
-Comparative discussion with Hours, Zelig, Desperate Housewives, The Witches of Eastwick, Beach Girls, Deathproof, Angels in America, |
11) |
Myth of the Melting Pot |
-Film for class Discussion: Crash
-Comparative discussion with The Joy Luck Club, In America
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12) |
Popular Culture & Ideology and the concepts of love, faith and justice; selling the myths. |
-Film for class discussion: Wag the Dog
-Comparative discussion with: Monster, American Graffiti, Three Days of Condor, Monster
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13) |
Cliches, fetishes, the kitsch, the cult, tales & myths and story-telling. |
-Film for class discussion: Big Fish
-Comparative discussion with The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter or The Fisher King
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14) |
Wrap Up |
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15) |
Final Exam |
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16) |
Final Exam |
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Course Notes: |
1. Douglas K. Stevenson. American Life and Institutions. Stuttgard: Ernst Klett Verlag, 1996.
2.Marshall W. Fishwick, Seven Pillars of Popular Culture. Westport: Greenwood Press, 1985.
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References: |
1. Atayman, Veysel (Derleyen). Şiddetin Mitolojisi. İstanbul: Don Kişot Yayınları, 2003.
2. Atikkan, Zeynep. Amerikan Cinneti: 11 Eylül Amerika’yı Nasıl Değiştirdi? Istanbul: YKY, 2006.
3. Baudrillard, Jean. Amerika. Çev. Yaşar Avunç. İstanbul: Ayrıntı, 1996.
4. Bir Zamanlar Amerika. Doğu Batı Düşünce Dergisi Sayı 32. Mayıs-Haziran-Temmuz, 2005.
5. Camus, Albert. Amerika Günlükleri. Çev. Osman Akınhay. Ankara: Öteki Yayınevi, 1992.
6. Canetti, Elias. Kitle ve İktidar. Çev. Gülşat Aygen. Ayrıntı: 1998.
7. Colombo, Gary, R.Cullen, B. Lisle. Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing. Boston: Bedford Books of Saint Martin’s Press, 1992.
8. Eradam, Yusuf. Vanilyalı Ideoloji. Istanbul: Aykırı Yayıncılık, 2004 (Pandora-on Istiklal & Mavikum Bookstore on Cihangir Street)
9. Goodnow, Katherine J. Kristeva in Focus: From Theory to Film Analysis. New York: Berghahn Books, 2010.
10. Kuçuradi, İoanna. Uludağ Konuşmaları: Özgürlük, Ahlak, Kültür Kavramları, Ankara: Türkiye Felsefe Kurumu Yayınları, 1994.
11. Güngor, Nazife (Der.). Popüler Kültür ve İktidar: Popüler Kültür Üzerine Kuramsal İncelemeler. Ankara: Vadi Yayınları, 1999.
12. Kilicer, Devrim F. Tower Power: The US on a Freudian Couch after 9/11. A Socio-Psychoanalytic Study of New York Towers. Stutgart: ibidem-Verlag, 2008.
13. Kuçuradi, İoanna. Sanata Felsefeyle Bakmak. Ankara: Ayraç Yayınları, 1996.
14. Mansfield, Nick. Öznellik: Freud’dan Haraway’e Kendilik Kuramları. İzmir: Aralık Yayınları, 2006.
15. Modleski, Tania (ed). Studies in Entertainment: Critical Approaches to Mass Culture. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1986.
16. Somay, Bülent, Tarihin Bilinçdışı: Popüler Kültür Üzerine Denemeler. İstanbul: Metis, 2004.
17. Sprengler, Christine. Screening Nostalgia: Populuxe props and Technicolor aesthetics in contemporary American film. New York: Berghahn Books, 2009.
18. Storey, John. Popüler Kültür Çalışmaları: Kuramlar ve metotlar. Çev. Koray Karaşahin. İstanbul: Babil Yayınları, 2000.
19. Tecimer, Omer. Sinema: Modern Mitoloji. Istanbul: Plan B, 2005.
20. Walker, Alexander. Stardom: The Hollywood Phenomenon. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1974.
21. Wells, Liz. (2003)The Photography Reader. London: Routhledge, 2010.
22. Yazıcı, İsmet. Kitle İletişiminde İmaj: Kuramsal Bir
Yaklaşım. İstanbul: Bilim Yayınları, 1997.
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Program Outcomes |
Level of Contribution |
1) |
To be able to apply theoretical concepts related to mass communication, consumer behavior, psychology, persuasion,sociology, marketing, and other related fields to understand how advertising and brand communication works in a free-market economy.
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1 |
2) |
To be able to critically discuss and interpret theories, concepts, methods, tools and ideas in the field of advertising.
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2 |
3) |
To be able to research, create, design, write, and present an advertising campaign and brand strategies of their own creation and compete for an account as they would at an advertising agency.
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2 |
4) |
To be able to analyze primary and secondary research data for a variety of products and services.
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3 |
5) |
To be able to develop an understanding of the history of advertising as it relates to the emergence of mass media outlets and the importance of advertising in the marketplace.
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2 |
6) |
To be able to follow developments, techniques, methods, as well as research in advertising field; and to be able to communicate with international colleagues in a foreign language. (“European Language Portfolio Global Scale”, Level B1)
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3 |
7) |
To be able to take responsibility in an individual capacity or as a team in generating solutions to unexpected problems that arise during implementation process in the Advertising field.
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2 |
8) |
To be able to understand how advertising works in a global economy, taking into account cultural, societal, political, and economic differences that exist across countries and cultures.
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3 |
9) |
To be able to approach the dynamics of the field with an integrated perspective, with creative and critical thinking, develop original and creative strategies.
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3 |
10) |
To be able to to create strategic advertisements for print, broadcast, online and other media, as well as how to integrate a campaign idea across several media categories in a culturally diverse marketplace.
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2 |
11) |
To be able to use computer software required by the discipline and to possess advanced-level computing and IT skills. (“European Computer Driving Licence”, Advanced Level)
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1 |
12) |
To be able to identify and meet the demands of learning requirements.
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2 |
13) |
To be able to develop an understanding and appreciation of the core ethical principles of the advertising profession.
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3 |