Topics in American Culture Studies

This course will explore the sounds, styles, and subcultures of punk from the 1960s through the '90s. Not limited to any one place, punk exploded on both sides of the Atlantic and across the Americas amid the political and economic crises of the late twentieth century. To make sense of this history, students will look at how "punk rock" gave expression to young people's alienation from a world that offered them "no future." Punk did not just transform music, but also visual art, film, fashion, and writing. We will also confront how punk challenged (and also reinforced) prevailing ideas about class, race, sexuality and gender. Throughout the course students will work with a mix of readings, records and films, and other material artifacts from the heyday of punk.
Course Attributes: EN S; BU BA; BU IS; AS SSC; FA SSC; AR SSC

Topics in American Culture Studies

HISTORY 3363

Section 01