Description

In this book, David Trend challenges the assumption that mass media is all-powerful and that "art" and "culture" exist only in museums while having little to do with everyday life. In doing so, the book discusses the role of media culture in understandings of who students are, how they got here, and the kind of world they'd like to inhabit, and how they might contribute to social change through local action. Everyday Culture takes a critical look at why many people have become alienated from politics, disillusioned with the democratic process, and absorbed with self-interest and private concerns while also examining how the American cultural experience can shape and change our understanding of the world. The book is a perfect introduction to cultural studies in a variety of disciplines.

Everyday Culture is divided into five chapters, each of which address major themes: "Asking," "Reading," "Finding," "Joining," and "Building." Theoretical principles are woven throughout the book in an effort to attach ideas to their practical applications--an approach in keeping with the immediacy and hands-on character of active and interactive education.

• Jargon free, written for students and scholars alike
• Includes discussions of prominent thinkers about everyday life, considerations of activities that make up daily life, and examinations of topics in popular culture, media, and consumption
• Includes vivid discussion of current debates over media violence, school curricula, democracy, and globalization
• Covers trends and topics in the arts, popular culture, and new media including 9/11, digital culture and technologies, MTV and hip-hop, media literacy, censorship, and free speech
• Provides an introduction to cultural studies that students will long remember

Author Info

David Trend is Professor of Studio Art at the University of California–Irvine and Director of the University of California Institute for Research in the Arts, a UC system-wide program for arts projects and related research. Among his many books are Everyday Culture: Finding and Making Meaning in a Changing World (Paradigm 2008) and A Culture Divided: America’s Struggle for Unity (Paradigm 2009).

Reviews

A Favorite With Students:

"Overall great read! I loved it."

"I actually WANTED to read this book. It was interesting and very understandable."

"This is a great alternative to other textbooks. It is interesting and to the point."

“[David Trend] never gets bogged down in theory without providing good, concrete examples from everyday life.”
--Dennis Carlson, Miami University, Ohio