Fads, Fetishes, and Fun

Popular culture is a major influence within society, as indicated by the focus on celebrities and entertainment within our media system and the election of pop culture entertainers to political office. While attempting to address pop culture in all its forms and influences on society is impossible to do in a single text, Fads, Fetishes, and Fun examines a number of facets of popular culture from a variety of sociological perspectives. Readers are introduced to issues of commodity fetishism, identity and branding, representation of race and gender, manipulation of consciousness, the connections between mass media and pop culture, and the concept of leisure as it is understood within pop culture. Within each of these areas, Jones presents a variety of authors who give insight into the all-pervasive nature of popular culture, its dynamic qualities, and its social impacts. Fads, Fetishes, and Fun provides a foundation for individuals interested in learning about pop culture from a sociological point of view. Andrew R. Jones, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at California State University, Fresno and attained his doctorate in sociology at the University of Oregon. He also holds degrees in philosophy and political science, and in addition to his academic career, has worked in the fields of journalism, sales, and construction.