This course explores the intersections of American popular culture and American social structure. We will give particular attention to issues of gender, race, sexuality and class, although other aspects of American social structure will also be discussed. The popular culture we will explore includes music, television, film, literature, and print media. The goal is to take on the sociological perspective, which may be new for many students, as we look at aspects of our day-to-day lives that we often take for granted. We want to understand how popular culture interacts with our lives. The course emphasizes critical thinking skills, research skills, and specific content information such as definitions of concepts and the findings of research. Note: This is a writing-intensive course.