Explores American society and culture through the lens of its various media, including television, literature, music, movies, and the internet. Topics include class and cultural consumption, the business dynamics of the art world, the power of advertising and mass media, children's media and the online worlds of adolescents, and the rise of urban creative economy. Throughout, students will have opportunities to explore and evaluate ideas from class via independent social and media research. Appropriate for sociology concentrators and non-concentrators alike.