In the upcoming summer session, New York’s Skidmore College will be offering a course focusing on Miley Cyrus.
No the class of Miley Cyrus, 21, in all her incarnations won’t be classified as women’s studies. Instead, it’ll be a study in sociology entitled, “The Sociology of Miley Cyrus: Race, Class, Gender and Media,” which will explore sociological thinking about identity, entertainment, media and fame.
The class is a 251-level special topics course taught by Visiting Assistant Professor of Sociology Carolyn Chernoff.
The professor explains the inspiration behind it saying, “I was teaching a course called Youth Culture in and out of School, and the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) became the twerk heard ’round the world. I showed that video to my class, and the students had so much to say.”
The topic of Miley Cyrus, her audacious antics, and the of shedding of her good little girl persona, has inspired a course which will allow for discussions on gender, race, class, economic status, identity, fame, and sexualization – examining the transition from former Hannah Montana star to sexualized pop icon, explains ABC News.
In January, Chernoff delivered a lecture and mediated a group discussion on Cyrus and the cultural issues at the Skidmore Women’s Center. The lecture was called “The Rise and Fall of Miley Cyrus: Race, Class, Gender and Media,” and students’ reaction was positive, reports the Saratogian.
Thereafter, the professor moved forward with plans for her summer course, which will explore the cultural issues Cyrus sings of, dances through and acts wild about. “Miley is sometimes seen as a wild, terrible she-beast,” Chernoff said. “After the VMA performance, this young woman was seen as the end of all times.”
An example of what may be covered in the course is a comparison discussion on Cyrus’ VMA twerking antics to the wardrobe malfunction perpetuated by Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson during the 2004 live Super Bowl show. While Timberlake’s reputation remained relatively unscathed by the televised scandal, Jackson’s career faltered a little after the incident.
The course’s syllabus is still in development, but Miley Cyrus will be the primary focus on discussions, papers and projects.
Chernoff notes Miley is more than welcome to participate if she is ever interested.
[Photo Credit: Twitter]
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