UT Knoxville unveils intersectional Taylor Swift course for fall
A public university in Knoxville, Tennessee recently unveiled a new Taylor Swift-centered course, focused on exploring 'girlhood' along with 'race, sexuality, and feminism.'
A University of South Florida course on Taylor Swift will also be available for the upcoming fall semester, focusing on intersectionality as well.
A public university in Knoxville, Tennessee recently unveiled a new Taylor Swift-centered course, focused on exploring “girlhood” along with “race, sexuality, and feminism.’
This fall, University of Tennessee, Knoxville students can enroll in “Gender, Culture, and Media (Taylor’s Version)” to fulfill a 400-level cinema studies degree requirement. The course draws its name from various re-recordings of Swift’s older songs, titled “Taylor’s Version.”
“Taylor Swift’s cultural and economic impact is undeniable,” a course description reads. “In our semester-long study of Taylor Swift, we will explore fan culture, celebrity culture, girlhood, music industry ethics, marketing and promotional strategies, and social media theory, along with race, sexuality, and feminism.”
“We’ll study her songs, online activities, music videos, and documentaries as well as how she is understood and discussed by fans, anti-fans, and the media,” it continues. “So make your friendship bracelets and enroll!”
The course was designed and will be led by cinema studies lecturer, Darcey Morris.
“What sparked my initial interest in teaching about Taylor Swift is truthfully my own fandom,” Morris told Campus Reform. “I think anything that generates that much attention and media coverage and that much economic activity is worth a closer look.”
The fall semester course is currently at maximum enrollment capacity and has a waitlist of approximately 40 students.
Deugray Robinson, a UTK senior, told Campus Reform he thinks the course is “ridiculous”.
Robinson said he believes the class may be “polarizing to the student body and the Knoxville community as a whole” given the controversy surrounding identity politics.
Robinson also noted that the university is misplacing priorities, since the school already has courses that center on such intersectional themes. “Everyone that attends UTK knows the biggest issues on campus are: parking, housing, and very expensive tuition,” he said.
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UT Knoxville is not the only university offering a class on Taylor Swift and intersectionality.
The University of South Florida will also be offering a similar course on Taylor Swift in the upcoming fall semester. The English course will focus on “values/ethics, race, ethnicity and gender; thinking and writing skills,” centering on Swift.
Campus Reform has contacted the University of Tennessee, Knoxville for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
