Lady Gaga e a Sociologia da Fama

UMA DISCIPLINA DE UNIVERSIDADE PARA GRADUANDOS...
"LADY GAGA E A SOCIOLOGIA DA FAMA"

Universidade da Carolina do Sul, Dpto. de Sociologia

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http://www.cas.sc.edu/socy/faculty/deflem/gaga.html

SOCY 398D - LADY GAGA AND THE SOCIOLOGY OF THE FAME

Professor Mathieu Deflem, Ph.D.
University of South Carolina

Department of Sociology
Class meets M-W at 4:00 p.m.

COURSE OVERVIEW

Objectives: Lady Gaga and the Sociology of the Fame (SOCY 398D) is an undergraduate course taught by Mathieu Deflem, Professor of Sociology at the University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC. The course introduces students to a sociological analysis of selected social issues related to the work of Lady Gaga. Within the framework the sociology of popular culture and music, this course specifically focuses on socially relevant elements in the rise of Lady Gaga’s popularity to her current status as a burgeoning pop music icon. The central objective of this course, then, is to unravel some of the sociologically relevant dimensions of the fame of Lady Gaga with respect to her music, videos, fashion, and other artistic endeavors, with special attention for the role of: business and marketing strategies; the role of the old and new media; fans and live concerts; gay culture; religious and political themes; sex and sexuality; and the cities of New York and Hollywood.

Framework: Please note that this is not a course in musicology or in cultural studies. Although some familiarity with the artistry of Lady Gaga’s work will be useful, this course instead focuses specifically on relevant elements of the societal context of Lady Gaga’s rise to fame. These various social issues, furthermore, are explored from a distinctly sociological perspective that is grounded in the theoretical traditions of the discipline of sociology.

Learning Outcomes: Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to engage in sound and substantiated scholarly thinking about relevant aspects of popular culture, music, and fame, especially from the viewpoint of the scholarly discipline of sociology. Students should also have garnered empirical knowledge of some of the most important social dimensions of fame as exemplified by the case of Lady Gaga.

Prerequisites: This course is primarily designed for majors and minors in sociology, but other students with sufficient dedication in the subject matter can sign up. Focused on a popular theme, this course is relatively challenging, especially in terms of the amount of required readings. The workload will be at least 3 to 4 hours on average a week besides attending the lectures. First-year students are not advised to take this course because the scholarly approach adopted in the course might be too challenging. A necessary prerequisite for this course is SOCY 101 or another sociology 300-level course, or SOCY 507, or SOCY 540, or consent of the instructor. You can check for seat availability at the Registrar's Office (enrollment begins November 8).


CONTENTS

Part I – Analytical Framework: The Sociology of Popular Culture a) Sociological Perspectives of Music b) Fame and Celebrity as Social Facts Part II – Topic of Inquiry: Lady Gaga a) Life and Times b) Music & Videos Part III – Dimensions of Analysis: The Fame of Lady Gaga a) Business and Marketing b) Media: From Radio to Internet c) Fans and Live Concerts d) Gay Culture e) Religion and Politics f) Sex and Sexuality g) New York (& Hollywood)