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REL 202: Religion and Popular Culture Syllabus

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This syllabus for the course 'REL 202: Religion and Popular Culture' outlines the expectations for students, including the requirement to engage with potentially objectionable course materials. It emphasizes the value of open discussion and personal growth through discomfort. The course includes three required texts that explore the intersections of religion, disability, and popular media, highlighting the influence of religion on humor in shows like 'The Simpsons,' 'South Park,' and 'Family Guy,' as well as developments in Muslim artistic expressions and hip hop.

Syllabus REL 202: Religion and Popular Culture Section #21040 Session B Class meets 3/12-4/27 General Studies: HU and C Instructor: Diana Murtaugh Coleman Email: [email protected] Instructor will normally respond within 24 hours. If you have not received a response within 24 hours, please send a follow-up message. Always include REL 202 in the subject line of your emails! https://isearch.asu.edu/profile/306227 https://asu.academia.edu/DianaColeman SHPRS Academic Advising: Office: 480-965-8364 [email protected] SHPRS asks that you include your full name and ASU ID# in all emails to advising. Please Note: This is an academic course in Religious Studies, not a confessional or theological approach that privileges any one religion, or religion as a category of human understanding. Part of the labor of academia is helping students develop and hone critical thinking skills as they learn to examine information (some new, some familiar) through different lenses of analysis. Be forewarned that we will be working with materials that some people may find offensive because of language, sexual references, religious jokes, political implications, etc. Religion and religious beliefs are subject to humor and satire in some of the readings and videos, but please be aware that this is not license to denigrate the beliefs/practices/identity of others in our course discussions. Our approach is academic, which means it will be open, intellectually rigorous, and often irreverent. I will not tolerate any mean-spirited targeting of one another, but neither will I suppress uncomfortable discussions that are earnest and academically grounded. I will not be offering substitute materials, so please browse the reading and video offerings in advance. If you find these materials objectionable, and suspect that you will not be able to engage the course materials for this reason, then it is better to register for an alternate course. Of course, personally, I would rather have you stay in the class, grow through any discomfort, and add your voice to the discussion. Welcome- this is going to be a great course, and I am looking forward to learning with you! REQUIRED TEXTS: There are three books required for this course. Any format or edition is fine: 1) Feltmate, David. Drawn to the Gods: Religion and Humor in the Simpsons, South Park & Family Guy. New York: NYU Press, 2017. 2) Van Nieuwkerk, Karin, Ed. Muslim Rap, Halal Soaps, and Revolutionary Theater: Artistic Developments in the Muslim World. Austin, University of Texas Press, 2011. 3) Miller, Monica, Anthony B. Pinn, and Bernard "Bun B" Freeman, Eds. Religion in Hip Hop: Mapping the New Terrain in the US. New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2015. Disability Services: If you require accommodation for documented disability, you must be registered through the Disability Resource Center. Qualified students with disabilities who will require disability accommodations in this class are encouraged to make their requests to me via email at the beginning of the semester. For more information, visit http://www.asu.edu/studentaffairs.ed/drc/ Title IX is a federal law that provides that no person be excluded on the basis of sex from participation in, be denied benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity. Both Title IX and university policy make clear that sexual violence and harassment based on sex is prohibited. An individual who believes they have been subjected to sexual violence or harassed on the basis of sex can seek support, including counseling and academic support, from the university. If you or someone you know has been harassed on the basis of sex or sexually assaulted, you can find information and resources at https://sexualviolenceprevention.asu.edu/faqs As a mandated reporter, I am obligated to report any information I become aware of regarding alleged acts of sexual discrimination, including sexual violence and dating violence. ASU Counseling Services, https://eoss.asu.edu/counseling, is available if you wish discuss any concerns confidentially and privately. Late Work: Email me if you have a serious issue that prevents you from submitting an assignment. If you have a conflict, let me know BEFORE the due date. Technical difficulties will NOT constitute an excuse for missed or late work, unless you contact Blackboard help before the deadline. Blackboard Information: technical issues related to myASU or Blackboard should be directed to the help center on myASU. If you have technical issues, contact Blackboard help FIRST. Then, let your instructor know, and include your Blackboard Support case number in your email. Do not leave assignments until late minute, as technical issues will NOT constitute an excuse for late assignments without a Blackboard Support case number. Withdrawals and Incompletes: for final dates and more information regarding course withdrawal, visit https://students.asu.edu/drop-add Incompletes are not available for this course. Academic Honesty: ASU expects and requires all its students to act with honesty and integrity, and respect the rights of others in carrying out all academic assignments. For more information on academic integrity, including the policy and appeal procedures, please visit ASU Academic Integrity: https://provost.asu.edu/academicintegrity Expectations: To earn maximum credit for postings, reference the readings and other assigned materials with proper citations, discuss main points, ponder questions, and use academically appropriate language and grammar. If you disagree with an argument, explain why, and make a counter argument, or propose an alternative understanding. Posts and responses to posts must be respectful, scholarly, coherent, present an argument or thesis supported by course texts, or reputable outside sources. Late postings are subject to a penalty. Your postings and responses will be good training for your final project/paper, for which you will pose a question, present a coherent thesis and support your arguments with reliable sources. To Succeed in this Course: Utilize the required materials and explore the suggested supplemental materials, i.e. extra Podcasts, blogs, and videos. You should complete all required readings, view PowerPoints, respond to all Discussion Board prompts, complete all assignments, and of course- submit your final project/paper. Manage your time wisely. Post ahead of the deadlines. I strongly suggest that you maintain either an e-journal or a traditional journal to take notes, to record questions and new vocabulary, and to develop emerging ideas throughout the course. This will help you with your postings, responses, your journal reflections, and your final paper. Check Blackboard and your ASU email frequently so that you not miss course announcements and reminders. Begin thinking about your final paper during the first weeks of the course, and meet suggested deadlines for progress. Ideally, the final week will be used for revisions. Supplementary Materials: I will provide some supplemental readings, and links to other recommended materials, but students will be in charge of accessing them at their discretion, according to level of interest, available time, and inclination. Our weekly academic schedule will run Monday through Sunday. Weekly assignments are due Sundays by midnight. Final Project/Paper is due Friday, April 27th by Midnight. ________________________________________________________________________ Week 1- (3/12-3/18) Intro video Intro PowerPoint- “What’s religion doing in popular culture?” Reading- Drawn to the Gods, Introduction, Chapters 1 and 2 (pgs.1-103) Short Supplemental Reading-Daniel Miller, “McDonald’s Truly Happy Meals.” (provided) Podcast- The Religious Studies Project, Interview with David Feltmate Assignment- See Discussion Board for Prompt (You must respond to at least one classmate) 60 pts. possible _______________________________________________________________________ Week 2- (3/19-3/25) Video-Lecture and short: “The Indian Store” (posted) PowerPoint- “Religious and Racial Fault lines in Feltmate’s America: Does Humor help us out?” Reading- Drawn to the Gods, Chapters 3, 4, 5 and Conclusion (pgs. 104-221) Podcast-Dharma Realm: “Media Representations of Buddhism” Assignment- See Discussion Board for Prompt (You must respond to at least one classmate) 80 pts. possible ________________________________________________________________________ Week 3- (3/26-4/1) Video- Taqwacore: The Birth of Punk Islam PowerPoint-“Transgressive Religious Space in Popular Culture” Reading- Muslim Rap, Halal Soaps, and Revolutionary Theater, Introduction (1-24) and Part One (27-111) Assignment- No Discussion Board this week; instead, you will be writing a two to three page analysis. Details in the Week 3 folder. 100 pts. possible ________________________________________________________________________ Week 4- (4/2-4/8) Video-Monira Al Qadiri, “Ramadan Soaps: The Workers will not be Televised” and “What would Jesus Buy? - Reverend Billy and Choir Raid Mall of America” PowerPoint- “Did someone slip Dakwah (or Revolution) into this entertainment?” Reading- Muslim Rap, Halal Soaps, and Revolutionary Theater, Part Two (115-204) Assignment- See Discussion Board for Prompt (you must respond to at least one classmate) 80 pts. possible Week 5- (4/9-4/15) Video-lecture PowerPoint-(W)rapping up Reading- Muslim Rap, Halal Soaps, and Revolutionary Theater, Part Three and Afterword (207-280) Assignment- No Discussion Board this week; instead, you will be writing a three to four page analysis. Details in the Week 5 folder 200 pts. possible _______________________________________________________________________ Week 6- (4/16-4/22) Video-“Professors Bun B & Anthony Pinn Talk Religion and Hip-Hop Course on Ebro in the Morning!” PowerPoint-“Religion as Art” Reading-Religion in Hip Hop, Preface, Introduction, Chapters 1-7. Podcast-Combat Jack Show Podcast, “The Bun B and Dr. Anthony Pinn “Religion and Hip Hop” Episode Assignment- See Discussion Board for Prompt (You must respond to at least one classmate) 80 pts. possible ________________________________________________________________________ Week 7 (4/23-4/27) Please note that this is a short week! Video-lecture Reading- “Religion in Hip Hop and Beyond: A Divine Struggle?” Chapters 8-14, Afterword Final Project/Paper Due: 4/27 See details in Final Project/Paper folder. Final Grades will be posted by May 5th. ASSIGMENT BREAKDOWN Introduction Discussion Board and Response to Classmate (Week 1) 60 pts. Weekly Discussion Board and Response to Classmate (Weeks 2, 4, 6) 80 pts. x 3 weeks = 240 pts. Assignment Paper One (at least 600 words) 100pts. Assignment Paper Two (at least 900 words) 200 pts. Final Project/Paper 400 pts. Total points possible = 1000 pts. GRADING 1000 points scale