Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Summer 2026 - CMNS 221 D100

Media and Popular Cultures (3)

Class Number: 3623

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    May 11 – Aug 10, 2026: Wed, 10:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Exam Times + Location:

    Aug 13, 2026
    Thu, 8:30–11:30 a.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    CMNS 110 or 130, with a minimum grade of C-.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Focuses on communication for social change; historical and contemporary perspectives in consumer culture; technology, media and popular culture; media and identity; and communication as public education.

COURSE DETAILS:

What is ‘popular’? How is it defined? Is popularity a good thing or a bad thing? Who decides? This course is an introduction to the study of popular culture and communication, with a focus on the social, political, and cultural dimensions of media, technology and online media environments. The course examines critical issues, controversies, interventions, and debates in media and popular culture, and engages with both theoretical and applied approaches to the understanding and analysis of media and communication.

The course considers a wide range of themes in the study of popular cultural production, dissemination, and practices, including: 1) The rise and ongoing elaboration of consumer culture, spectacles, identities, histories and currencies of media and popular culture; 2) Digital culture, algorithmic feeds, gaming, and social media constructions of the popular (trends, likes, and bots); 3) Populist politics, populism (left and right), protest movements, podcasts and the emergence of the manosphere; 4) Popular education and the creation of the public; 5) Popular performing arts, celebrities, and the politics of taste and distinction.

We will explore various historical and contemporary debates around the validity of the popular and the development (and contestations) of concepts like authentic, fake, and ‘silent’ majorities. In addition to course readings (provided via Canvas), we will also look closely at various films, examples of popular music, podcasts, major events like the Olympics, the World Cup, the Super Bowl, major awards shows, and other forms of audio/visual culture as part of our investigation.

Grading

  • In-person Midterm 25%
  • In-person Final Exam 30%
  • Creative Assignment + Presentation 25%
  • Attendance + Participation + In-class Assignments 20%

NOTES:

The School expects that the grades awarded in this course will bear some reasonable relationship to established university-wide practices. In addition, the School will follow Policy S10.01 with respect to Academic Integrity, and Policies S10.02, S10.03 and S10.04 with regard to Student Discipline. For further information visit: www.sfu.ca/policies/Students/index.html

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Course readings available via Canvas.

REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.

To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit: 


RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.