This course is part of the Fandom and Popular Culture in the Digital Age Specialization

Christopher Haynes

Offered By

Fandom and Popular Culture in the Digital Age SpecializationUniversity of Colorado Boulder

About this Course

In "Fandom, Community, and Identity in Popular Music," you will explore the intersections of fandom and popular culture using pop music as a framework. You will apply your skills of self-reflection and close reading/analysis to a few case studies of pop musicians and the ways in which their art inhabits and evolves in pop culture spaces. You will learn about what it means to be a music fan, and therefore to be a fan in general. Along the way, you’ll have the chance to express your creativity as a fan by making something to contribute back into your fandom. This project will ask you to apply your self-reflection and close reading frameworks, and will ground your studies of fandom and pop culture in your lived experience (both physical and virtual). 
Course-Level Learning Outcomes

* Define and describe the dynamics of popular music and its relationship with fandom, popular culture, and digital media
* Apply critical self-reflection and close reading frameworks through analytical writing and creative expression
* Engage with pop culture and fandom communities by leveraging online platforms to make connections and synthesize learning
* Reflect on your personal relationship to popular music, popular art, and how popular culture intersects with memory and nostalgia

Course 2 Skills: 
* Analysis
* Evaluation
* Critical Thinking
* Communication
* Creativity
* Close Reading

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

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Course 2 of 3 in the

Beginner Level

Curiosity and interest

Approx. 12 hours to complete

English

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What you will learn

Define and describe the dynamics of popular music and its relationship with fandom, popular culture, and digital media
Apply critical self-reflection and close reading frameworks through analytical writing and creative expression
Engage with pop culture and fandom communities by leveraging online platforms to make connections and synthesize learning
Reflect on your personal relationship to popular music, popular art, and how popular culture intersects with memory and nostalgia

Skills you will gain

Creativity
analysis
Communication
Evaluation
Critical Thinking

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

Learn more about Coursera Labs

Course 2 of 3 in the

Beginner Level

Curiosity and interest

Approx. 12 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructor

Christopher Haynes

2,169 Learners

6 Courses

Offered by

University of Colorado Boulder

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Week1

Week 1

4 hours to complete

The Shape and Scope of Pop Music Fandom

4 hours to complete

3 videos (Total 18 min), 7 readings, 1 quiz

3 videos

Fandom, Community, and Identity in Popular Music5mThe Shape and Scope of Pop Music Fandom3mInterview with Dr. Adam Bradley Pt 1: The Fan and the Critic9m

7 readings

The Shape and Scope of Pop Music Fandom Explained20mBeyoncé: A Case Study30mTaylor Swift: A Case Study30mChoose Your Own Adventure...1hOptional Additional Readings10mMaking Fandom Project Description15mDownload the Self-Reflection and Awareness Framework Quick Reference5m

1 practice exercise

Definitions in Popular Music20m

Week2

Week 2

4 hours to complete

Close Listening, Music Fandom, and Cultural Change

In this module, you will explore the joys of “close listening” by digging deeper into your music fandom and the ways in which it connects to your identity and to your engagement with digital media. You’ll prepare your Making Fandom project for submission, and have a chance to revisit the self-reflection and analysis frameworks we’ve been practicing and applying. You’ll also learn about hip hop culture and representation through a case study of rapper Kendrick Lamar.

4 hours to complete

3 videos (Total 20 min), 6 readings

3 videos

Close Listening and Cultural Change2mInterview with Dr. Adam Bradley Pt 2: Deep Listening10mInterview with Dr. Adam Bradley Pt 3: Pop Music, Activism, and a Call to Action7m

6 readings

Kendrick Lamar: A Case Study30mChoose Your Own Adventure...1hOptional Additional Readings30mSelf-Reflection and Awareness Framework20mClose Reading and Analysis Framework20mPreparing Your Making Fandom Project Submission30m

Week3

Week 3

4 hours to complete

Globalized and Mobilized: Pop Music Fandom

In this module, you will explore how pop music fandom travels the globe by digging into the example of k-pop (a music and dance aesthetic originating in South Korea). While you’re preparing your Making Fandom project for submission, you will learn about the digital media channels that facilitate global pop, and consider some of the influence these global patterns have had on American music, culture, and politics.

4 hours to complete

4 videos (Total 25 min), 4 readings, 2 quizzes

4 videos

Globalized and Mobilized2mInterview with Dr. Adam Bradley Pt 4: The 21st-Century Music Fan6mInterview with Dr. Adam Bradley Pt 5: Engaging with Fans in a Genre-Less Music Industry12mConclusion: Globalized and Mobilized Pop Music Fandom2m

4 readings

K-Pop and the Globalization of Pop Music: A Case Study3mDigital Platforms Spotlight: Patreon and Bandcamp20mChoose Your Own Adventure...1hOptional Additional Readings15m

1 practice exercise

Course Content Review20m

About the Fandom and Popular Culture in the Digital Age Specialization

How might what we love - what we watch, what we read, what we post - make our communities healthier and more vibrant? This question guides Fandom and Popular Culture in the Digital Age. In our networked and information-saturated world, three vital needs emerge: representing identity in digital media, interrogating the products of culture, and engaging meaningfully with digital communities. This course addresses these needs by inviting you into a space of reflection at the intersection of fandom, popular culture, and digital media. More than at any point in human history, these forces have put at our fingertips the means to create and disseminate ourselves in the world. We will explore the products of popular culture and trace the fan networks that sustain and derive value from them. Along the way, we will train you to recognize relationships between popular culture and the political and commercial forces that shape its publication, distribution, and consumption.

This course will equip you with the tools necessary to boost your digital media fluency and define, shape, and evolve your identity as a fan within digital spaces. But ultimately, this is a celebration - a celebration of you and your communities, what you love, and how that love might bring people together to change the world. Together, we can make this a community-driven online resource for our shared endeavor of analyzing and understanding fandom and popular culture.

Fandom and Popular Culture in the Digital Age

Frequently Asked Questions

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What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
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Fandom, Community, and Identity in Popular Music

About this Course

What you will learn

Skills you will gain