Everyday Culture: Finding and Making Meaning in a Changing World

In this book, David Trend challenges the assumption that mass media is all-powerful and that "art" and "culture" exist only in museums while having little to do with everyday life. In doing so, the book discusses the role of media culture in understandings of who students are, how they got here, and the kind of world they'd like to inhabit, and how they might contribute to social change through local action. Everyday Culture takes a critical look at why many people have become alienated from politics, disillusioned with the democratic process, and absorbed with self-interest and private concerns while also examining how the American cultural experience can shape and change our understanding of the world. The book is a perfect introduction to cultural studies in a variety of disciplines.

Everyday Culture is divided into five chapters, each of which address major themes: "Asking," "Reading," "Finding," "Joining," and "Building." Theoretical principles are woven throughout the book in an effort to attach ideas to their practical applications--an approach in keeping with the immediacy and hands-on character of active and interactive education.