JAN 117 - Taylor Swift as Mirrorball: Reflections of Ourselves & Culture

Instructor(s):  Noble, Megan
Email:  mjn6@stmarys-ca.edu

“Taylor Swift as Mirrorball: Reflections of Ourselves & Culture” is a course that analyzes how the Nashville-raised artist and icon operates as a temperature gauge for the culture at large. Contrary to what Swift implies on her 2022 release, Midnights, the reason why so many fade, but she’s “still here” is not a phenomenon that can be solely attributed to ‘karma.’ Together, we’ll think critically about the nuances of what Swift represents in our culture by analyzing her relationship to girlhood, whiteness, feminism, and fandom. We will learn how to read and analyze critical theory, cultural criticism, music journalism, and personal essays in multimedia forms. To aid our discoveries, we will research, write, and generate three distinct products of different genres - mirroring the genre literacy and shifts of Swift herself. Our class will be a community of writers and thinkers. Through the workshop, we will participate in a lot of thinking, reading, writing, rewriting, listening, and discussing with one another. Lastly, familiarity with Swift’s music is preferred, but not required.
 

Prerequisites & Notes
None

Credits: 3-CU