SOC-311 Sociology of Hip Hop
Hip Hop, or rap music, is one of the top-selling musical genres in the world. As such, it has received considerable attention for both bringing awareness to issues of inequality and reinforcing racial stereotypes, particularly those surrounding gangs, violence, drugs, homophobia, and misogyny. This course requires students to examine the structural conditions that led to the emergence of hip-hop, as well as its massive commercial appeal and ensuing controversies. We will also deconstruct the messages expressed within hip-hop culture through the application of major sociological perspectives, including social conflict theory, symbolic interactionism, critical race theory, black feminism, the culture of poverty, and the code of the streets. Accordingly, this course begins by defining hip hop culture, and looking at its history through a sociological lens. After establishing this foundation, we will examine the reciprocal relationship between hip-hop culture and the broader social and political world.
Seminar (12)
Credits
1