Blues and Southern Culture
This interdisciplinary sociology and writing course explores the changing times, attitudes and music in the South. Students read journal articles, biographies, ethnographies, and interviews of those who live, know and write about Southern culture, tradition, music, its legacy, and new challenges. In examining the social change themes of individual strength, collective support and community, the class will learn how demographic, cultural, and social realities blur boundaries, tear down barriers, and pose challenges to a region that has long documented its struggles and conflict in written and musical expression.