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Political Science General

The Politics of Popular Culture

Negotiating Power, Identity, and Place

by (author) Tim Nieguth

Publisher
McGill-Queen's University Press
Initial publish date
Jun 2015
Category
General, Popular Culture
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9780773596863
    Publish Date
    Jan 2015
    List Price
    $28.95
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9780773544703
    Publish Date
    Jun 2015
    List Price
    $110.00
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9780773544710
    Publish Date
    Jun 2015
    List Price
    $32.95

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Description

Days after the 9/11 attacks George W. Bush sought to reassure the American public that Osama bin Laden would be brought to justice, quipping that "there's an old poster out West, as I recall, that said, 'Wanted: Dead or Alive.'" Bush's invocation of Wild West mythology was neither novel nor unusual - elected officials frequently tap into popular culture in order to mobilize public support for themselves and for their policies. The Politics of Popular Culture examines the relationship between popular culture and politics. It stresses that popular culture is politically important because it reflects and operates within broader socio-political conditions, can transport political ideas and ideologies, and is a site where identities and institutions are shaped, contested, and reproduced. Essays discuss film, television, music, and video games from a variety of theoretical and methodological vantage points in order to enrich our understanding of the ways in which popular culture shapes our views of political institutions, actors, and issues. Contributors include Jonah Butovsky (Brock), Gina S. Comeau (Laurentian), Danielle J. Deveau (Pop Culture Lab), Timothy Fowler (Carleton), Aurélie Lacassagne (Laurentian), Jérôme Melançon (Alberta), Christian Poirier (Institut national de la recherche scientifique), Tracey Raney (Ryerson), Kelly L. Saunders (Brandon), and Shauna Wilton (Alberta).

About the author

Tim Nieguth is associate professor of political science at Laurentian University.

Tim Nieguth's profile page

Editorial Reviews

“An interesting, varied, and necessary exploration of what popular culture means for political science, and what political science means for popular culture, especially in the Canadian context.” Gregory Millard, Kwantlen Polytechnic University