Syllabus
Course schedule
Course schedule 1. Introduction: Central and Eastern European (CEE) popular culture between East and West (February 21) 2. What is popular culture? (Reading: John Storey) (March 7) 3. Marxism and popular culture (Reading: Antonio Gramsci, film: Guy Debord) (March 14) 4. From subcultures to postsubcultures (Reading: Andy Bennett, Keith Kahn-Harris) (March 21) 5. State socialism vs. postsocialism and East vs. West (Reading: Boris Buden) (March 28) 6. Consumerism in state socialism (Reading: Paulina Bren) (April 4) 7. Re-traditionalization and nationalism in CEE (Reading: Ladislav Holy) (April 11) 8. Fanzines and subcultures in CEE (Reading: Zines archives) (April 25) 9. Tour de May Day festivals in Prague (May 1) 10. DIY and constructing at home (Reading: Andrew Jackson) (May 9) 11. Colloquium with students´ presentations (May 23)
Annotation
The course provides an introduction to phenomena of popular culture in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) with special emphasis on Czech social and cultural context.
Firstly, we introduce a range of theoretical approaches to study popular culture, exploring the intersection between everyday life, mass media, and broader political and historical contexts within the CEE. We will discuss key theoretical readings in the study of popular culture in CEE, including ideology and hegemony, (post)subculture, marxism, (post)socialism and nationalism.
Secondly, building on knowledge of these conceptual approaches, we will examine a range of themes in popular culture in CEE such as consumerism in socialist society, re-nationalization and re-traditionalization, subcultures and fanzines, DIY. These issues will be presented on the empirical case studies not only from contemporary Czech culture, but also in Czech-Slovak comparison within the CEE context. The course will include a fieldtrip on May 1 studying the festivals of May Day in Prague and final colloquium with students´ presentations.