Summary of content

The last century has been described as 'The American Century'. Across a range of spheres, the United States has had a formative influence upon Western popular culture, shaping cinema, popular music, television, literature, fashion and food, and has given rise to new consumer markets at home and across the world, especially in relation to the young. This module will examine American popular culture and its influence both at home and abroad, and will focus in particular upon elements that offer insights into America's social, political and racial formation. Starting with the iconic figure of the nineteenth-century cowboy, the module will progress thematically and chronologically to the present, and examine the persistence of the cult of rugged individualism that has facilitated the rise of demagogues such as Donald Trump.

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