"Pastimes" (7th ed.) introduces the phenomenon of leisure and reflects a wide range of material from the disciplines of leisure studies, sociology, psychology, economics, political science, history, anthropology, geography, the humanities, and media and cultural studies. This book discusses leisure from personal, societal, and systems…

Fictional film provides an opportunity to breathe life into the application of academic concepts by capturing the attention and imagination of students. Using the 2009 hit movie "Avatar", it is argued that popular fiction has the potential to help students grasp the dynamics of imperial/indigenous relationships in part because it removes…

The introductory level course Geography of the U.S. and Canada requires students to grasp large amounts of complex material, oftentimes using a lecture-based pedagogical approach. This article outlines two ways that popular music can be successfully used in the geography classroom. First, songs are used to review key concepts and characteristics…

This article explores the celebrated film "The Hunters" (Swedish title: "Jagarna") within the context of the discourse of "Internal Orientalism." By juxtaposing a contemporary Swedish film with historical accounts and contemporary news media, I demonstrate how the film reworks and (re)produces representations of the…

This article draws on research in the fields of visual culture and critical media literacy to establish a rationale for utilizing popular culture in social studies classroom instruction. One reality television show, CBS's "The Amazing Race", introduces viewers to diverse people and places. Although the decision to use this show to support social…

Describes a woodcut of the earliest map printed in a vernacular language, circa 1480. Discusses the location and representation of paradise, the winds, rivers, the world sea and islands, countries, and cities. Emphasizes the map as a world view of the late Middle Ages representing the popular culture of the time. (DK)

Discusses a research project on how artists in rap videos create a "counter-discourse" (or ways of talking and thinking about) on themselves and the places they live. Focuses on the experience of sharing the paper based on this research, specifically considering a lecture at California State University-Dominquez Hills. (CMK)