Responding to market demand?
A recent report suggests that a US university is to offer a class on Beyonce.
Beyonce is many things: singer, dancer, living pop icon, wife, mother, and namesake of a new breed of horsefly. She is also the subject of a new course being taught at Rutgers University, “Politicizing Beyonce.”
Taught by lecturer and doctoral student Kevin Allred, he tells Focus that “this isn’t a course about Beyoncé’s political engagement or how many times she performed during President Obama’s inauguration weekend.”
Beyonce is many things: singer, dancer, living pop icon, wife, mother, and namesake of a new breed of horsefly. She is also the subject of a new course being taught at Rutgers University, “Politicizing Beyonce.”A post last year summarised the latest position in the provision of bonkers degrees and earlier items covered similar ground including a zombie course at the University of Baltimore and a course covering Lady Gaga. Also we previously looked here at the launch of an MA in Beatles Studies and the offer of a degree in Northern Studies as well as offering a podcast on “bonkers or niche” degrees. Most recently there was, shockingly, an MA in horror and transgression at Derby. So, this is simply another one in a fine tradition.
Back to Beyoncé:
The university’s news site gives this description: “The performer’s music and career are used as lenses to explore American race, gender, and sexual politics… Course topics include the extent of Beyonce’s control over her own aesthetic, whether her often half-naked body is empowered or stereotypical, and her more racy performances as her alter ego, Sasha Fierce.”
Fuller details can be found at the Rutgers site for those minded to enrol. It’s this kind of market responsiveness that will become the hallmark of the successful university of the future.
