Subject code
JAN
Course Number
136
Course Title
Rock & Roll Visual Culture
Modality
In-Person
Meeting Days
MTWTh
Meeting Time(s)
6:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Instructor(s)
Khosrowjah, Hossein
Instructor(s) Email
hk12@stmarys-ca.edu
Prerequisites
None
Course Fee
$25.00
Units
3
Course Description
The course examines the intersection of Rock and Roll as a cultural event/site/artifact and visual culture in three different areas: 1) as a sub-genre of popular music and visual media; 2) visual and narrative depictions of social and cultural rebellion and transgression; the formations of the communitas, real ones like the Haight-Ashbury in SF and virtual ones like online gatherings; 3) commercialization and marketing of R & R as a commodification of "the cool and the rebellious." We will also look at the roots of R & R as a musical genre and in terms of overlapping subcultures across racial and gender identities. The class will assume an expanded definition of Rock that links it to Blues, R&B, Hip-Hop, Reggae, Folk, and C&W. Screenings and readings are also mindful of the global dimensions of R & R and its depiction in cinema. Ultimately, this is a course that is intended to combine the seriousness of visual studies with the joy and excitement of Rock and Roll.