Course Description and goals

Beginning by asking “What is pop culture?”, this course draws on critical perspectives and methodologies in sociocultural linguistics and linguistic anthropology to approach pop cultural phenomena such as memes, video games, films, and other media and cultural forms. This burgeoning subfield of pop cultural linguistics not only explores the language of pop culture, but also considers the performance of language in pop culture and how it might be used to negotiate broader issues of gender, sexuality, race, and class in different cultures. Students are encouraged to intentionally incorporate their consumption of pop culture into the assignments, and examine what it means to be a target of such discourses. By critically evaluating the multimodal relationships between language and pop cultural artefacts, this course explores the potential of the linguistic inquiry of pop culture as anti/interdisciplinarity.

Classes will be conducted in person unless circumstances change.

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

1. Analyse pop cultural texts using a range of linguistic and multimodal analytical frameworks, including sociolinguistics, discourse analysis, and raciolinguistics.

2. Evaluate how language in pop culture represents, constructs, and negotiates identity categories including race, gender, sexuality, and class.

3. Apply theoretical frameworks from sociocultural linguistics and linguistic anthropology to collect, process, and analyse linguistic data from pop cultural discourses of their own choosing.

4. Critically reflect on the ideological and political dimensions of pop cultural texts, including how they may reinforce or subvert dominant language ideologies, stereotypes, and power structures.

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A variety of texts will be used in this course. Our primary source of knowledge will be academic texts, but we will also consider other multimodal materials, including excerpts of films, transcripts, and selected media.

Additional readings may be assigned and made available on Moodle.

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This course will, unexpectedly, involve discussions on sex, gender, and other related topics. While these should not be taboo subjects, they are sensitive in nature, and can be uncomfortable for some. If you have concerns about any of the assigned readings or assignments, please speak to me before the relevant week, and we will work something out. Of course, you are also free to excuse yourself at any time during class if you find yourself feeling uncomfortable about the topic; there is no need to ask for permission.

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Critical essay: 40% (CLOs 1, 2, 3, 4)

You will write a critical essay (~ 2,500 words) analysing a pop cultural artifact of their choosing using the theoretical and analytical frameworks covered in the course. Students are encouraged to select an artifact they regularly consume (e.g., a film, television series, video game, music video, meme, social media trend, fan community, or digital cultural phenomenon).

 

Mid-term test: 30% (CLOs 1, 2)

The test will be taken in class during scheduled lecture time. It will cover all material in the course, up till the midterm date. The format will be multiple choice and short answer questions.

 

Group presentation: 30% (CLOs 1, 2, 3, 4)

There will be one presentation per group, and should last about 10-15 minutes. Each group will comprise of at least three students, and will present on the supplementary reading each week. We will form groups in the first week, and presentations will begin in the third week or later, depending on the number of groups. After your group has presented, you are to submit a jointly written report (~1800 words). More details will be provided at the start of the course.

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You should read the assigned textbook chapters before coming to class. All the readings will be uploaded on Moodle.

Week	Topic	In-class reading	Supplementary reading
1	Language and/of pop culture	Werner, V., M. Hiramoto and P. Flanagan (2025), “Language and Pop Culture,” Journal of Language and Pop Culture, 1 (1): 1–17.	None.
2	Race and media	Pak, V. (2023). (De)coupling race and language: The state listening subject and its rearticulation of antiracism as racism in Singapore. Language in Society, 52(1), 151–172. doi:10.1017/S0047404521000373	Calhoun, K. and J. Yoo (2024), “African American English, Racialized Femininities, and Asian American Identity in Ali Wong’s Baby Cobra,” Journal of Sociolinguistics, 28 (4): 64–84.
3	Race and popular music	Eberhardt, M. and K. Freeman (2015), “‘First Things First, I’m the Realest’: Linguistic Appropriation, White Privilege, and the Hip‐hop Persona of Iggy Azalea,” Journal of Sociolinguistics, 19 (3): 303–27.	China, A. S. (2020), “Racialization and Gender in Tumblr: Beyoncé as a Raciolinguistic Semiotic Resource,” International Journal of the Sociology of Language, 2020 (265): 81–105.
4	Gender and sexuality: TV and cinema	Hiramoto, M., & Pua, P. (2019). Racializing heterosexuality: Non-normativity and East Asian characters in James Bond films. Language in Society, 48(4), 541–563. doi:10.1017/S0047404519000381	Raymond, C. W. (2013). Gender and sexuality in animated television sitcom interaction. Discourse & Communication, 7(2), 199–220. https://doi.org/10.1177/1750481312472971
5	Gender and sexuality: Video games	Heritage, F. (2022), “Magical Women: Representations of Female Characters in the Witcher Video Game Series,” Discourse, Context & Media, 49: 100627.	Pulos, A. (2013). Confronting Heteronormativity in Online Games: A Critical Discourse Analysis of LGBTQ Sexuality in World of Warcraft. Games and Culture, 8(2), 77–97. https://doi.org/10.1177/1555412013478688
6	Hallyu	Yoo, J. J., & Hiramoto, M. (2026). From Global Expansion to Localization: Recontextualization of the Korean Wave. Signs and Society, 14(2), 145–150. doi:10.1017/sas.2026.10052	Samosir, N., & Wee, L. (2023). Sociolinguistics of the Korean Wave. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003379850 [Chapter 1]
– Reading week –
8	Beauty and bodies	Eberhardt, M. (2025). “I am a fat ass but I’m also a bad ass”: Reconciling fat and fabulous on the neoliberal screen. Journal of Language and Pop Culture, 1(2), 153–176. https://doi.org/10.1075/jlpop.24020.ebe	Jackson, S., & Vares, T. (2015). ‘Perfect skin’, ‘pretty skinny’: girls’ embodied identities and post-feminist popular culture. Journal of Gender Studies, 24(3), 347–360. https://doi.org/10.1080/09589236.2013.841573
9	Memes	Soh, W. Y. (2020), “Digital Protest in Singapore: The Pragmatics of Political Internet Memes,” Media, Culture & Society, 42 (7–8): 1115–32.	al Zidjaly, N. (2017), “Memes as Reasonably Hostile Laments: A Discourse Analysis of Political Dissent in Oman,” Discourse & Society, 28 (6): 573–94.
10	Fandoms	Gong, Y. (2016), “Online Discourse of Masculinities in Transnational Football Fandom: Chinese Arsenal Fans’ Talk around ‘Gaofushuai’ and ‘Diaosi,’” Discourse & Society, 27 (1): 20–37.	Liang, S. (2022), “Chinese Female Desire, Gaze, and Identity Construction: A Case Study of ‘Boys Love,’” Asian Journal of Women’s Studies, 28 (3): 317–36.
11	Cute studies	Hiramoto, M. and L. Wee (2019), “‘Kawaii’ in the Semiotic Landscape,” Sociolinguistic Studies, 13 (1): 15–35.	Gn, J. (2016). A lovable metaphor: On the affect, language and design of ‘cute.’ East Asian Journal of Popular Culture, 2(1), 49–61. https://doi.org/10.1386/eapc.2.1.49_1
12	Conlangs	Coon, J. (2020), “The Linguistics of Arrival,” in J. Punske, N. Sanders and A. V. Fountain (eds), Language Invention in Linguistics Pedagogy, 32–48, Oxford: Oxford University Press.	Schreyer, C. (2021). Constructed Languages. Annual Review of Anthropology, 50(1), 327–344. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-anthro-101819-110152
13	End	Halberstam, J.( 2011). The Queer Art of Failure. Durham: Duke University Press. [pp. 1–18]	None.

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Beyond what is already stated, if you need to miss class for any reason, please inform me as soon as you can. I would prefer to operate on the basis of trust – if you have used up both of your unexcused absences, you should try to supply some form of documentation that constitutes an excusable absence, and I will accept it. Of course, if you choose to doctor, edit, or alter your documentation with dishonest intentions, that would be on you.

There will be no make-up lectures.

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I only hold office hours by appointment. Please email me about having a chat at least one week in advance, so I can plan ahead. You'll have the option of doing this over Zoom or in my office. Each session should take no longer than 30-45 minutes; this is in the interest of other students who would also like to meet with me.

I reply to my emails quite quickly, usually within 24 hours. You should feel free to reach out to me about the course, but I also welcome unstructured conversations about my research areas or academia in general. If you encounter any difficulties during the semester, please reach out as soon as you can, so we can work together to help you.

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As above, this class will discuss a range of topics in gender, sexuality, and more. I realise that this can be contentious for some, and I will not pretend that this field can be taught outside of politics. You should expect differing opinions and viewpoints during discussions, and these are all welcome. What I will not excuse is discriminatory, abusive, and intolerant behaviour: this is regardless of your politics. I must impress upon all students the need to be civil and respectful.

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There is no tolerance for academic dishonesty of any kind.

Academic dishonesty is defined broadly, and can include anything from improper citation (and claiming credit for yourself) to passing off someone else's work as your own (including resubmission of your past work). If you have even the slightest doubt as to whether a certain practice is dishonest, come to me and we can have a chat.

Any use of generative AI tools to wholly complete an assignment is not allowed. You are permitted to use these tools to brainstorm ideas or conduct editing or proofreading, but this must be acknowledged in the assignment. AI usage and plagiarism is monitored for all submissions on Moodle.