The new tortured poets’ department is at the University of Buenos Aires’ social sciences faculty. The faculty has announced a series of new cultural extracurricular courses — and this time, alongside the usual programmes on photography and literature, one stands out: “ Who is Taylor Swift Anyway, ew .” This eight-class course aims to analyze Taylor Swift’s discography to understand the deep connections between her lyrics, the English language and U.
S. culture. The name of the course refers to Swift’s Red album and the ‘22’ single released in 2013.
The lecturer running the course is Sonia Zablocki, who is affiliated with the literature faculty. Why study Taylor Swift’s career? According to the curriculum, Swift’s music is a global and cultural phenomenon that has changed lives. Studying her work allows students to understand how music helps drive social change , as well as the role of artists in the current political context.
“Through the conceptual analysis of every Taylor Swift album, we aim to develop a tool for critical readings on cultural phenomena in mass media and social media,” the course program reads. The curriculum offers an analysis based on seven units that delve into the “American dream,” the construction of girlhood, self-reinvention (and of course, reputation), the language of power and romanticism. Over the eight classes, students will go over Swift’s full lyrics, from her eponymous debut album, Taylor Swift, to The Tortured Po.
