Beyonce's Rutgers Class: Singer's Career The Focus Of 'Politicizing Beyonce'

Throughout the course of Beyonce Knowles' illustrious career of achievements the singer has been labeled as one of today's most popular sex symbols, however her latest acknowledgement comes from the likes of a Rutgers University PH.D. student.

As part of the institution's Department of Women's and Gender Studies, doctoral student and lecturer, Kevin Allred currently teaches a course, "Politicizing Beyonce," in which he examines the singer's lyrics and videos in comparison to the writings of Alice Walker and Sojourner Truth.

"This isn't a course about Beyonce's political engagement or how many times she performed during President Obama's inauguration weekend," Allred explained via the school's news site. "She certainly pushes boundaries. While other artists are simply releasing music, she's creating a grand narrative around her life, her career, and her persona."

Allred was inspired to lecture the course following his four semesters as a Women's Studies 101 instructor where he often found his class debating whether or not the Pop star is a role model for today's youth. According to the site, 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."

Though the classroom discussions are not solely limited to Knowles' image and music, other notable vocalists such as Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, and Lady Gaga are also analyzed through their social impact on society.

"It's important to shift students away from simply being consumers of media toward thinking more critically about what they're engaging on a regular basis," Allred added. "When students don't respond to theory or dense readings, it's often easier to see things play out in the world around them."

In addition to the international superstar's career being the focus of a college classroom, her husband, Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter is also the topic of a Sociology Course at Georgetown University.

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Comments

[michelleobamaok]

03:54 PM on 02/07/2012

YE-AH!!!!

Rump Shaking 101! It's Black History Month, ya'll. Be PROUD!

[RuthHouston]

02:56 PM on 02/03/2012

Will a discussion of the Beyonce fake pregnancy – surrogate mother theories be included in this course?

Interesting analysis of these theories in the 2 articles below which are posted at www.CelebrityInfidelity.com

4 Beyonce Surrogate Mother-Fake Pregnancy Theories Re-ignited
http://www.examiner.com/celebrity-infidelity-in-national/4-beyonce-surrogate-mother-fake-pregnancy-theories-re-ignited

19 Reasons Beyonce Would Want to Fake or Enhance Her Pregnancy
http://www.examiner.com/celebrity-infidelity-in-national/19-reasons-beyonce-would-want-to-fake-or-enhance-her-pregnancy-2

[Crystal Rose Love]

08:58 AM on 01/31/2012

Yeah....this is what I consider a "basketweaving" class. I'm not sure if I would want "Beyonce" on my college transcript. Considering the fact that grad schools and future employers would see those transcripts, the class would simply scream, "I took this class for fun and that's it. Easy A."

[blackdublin2006]

09:50 AM on 01/30/2012

I'm sure she makes an interesting topic of discussion ... however there are far more important things for college students to learn about. With the cost of education .. a course of Beyonce's music career would simply be a waste of money.

[Victoria Trower]

06:36 PM on 01/28/2012

And forgive the typos as I am posting from my phone. I meant if you call yourself a fan, your debating skills DON'T..

[Victoria Trower]

06:34 PM on 01/28/2012

I honestly believe that you can call yourself a fan of this woman, your debating skills do merit any real threat to anyone who see this fake broad for what she is. Bacoonery at it's finest. BTW, I love that picture of her in black because you can see her fake boobs that go along with the fake bump she is sporting.

[American Pride]

05:57 PM on 01/28/2012

Mark my words J or Beyonce will go into politics and make a hugh difference in this world!

[theaustralian]

08:51 AM on 01/28/2012

Beyonce isnt political at all, she's a gimmick.

[drhooper]

01:10 AM on 01/28/2012

This must be an example of how the Koch brothers are influencing education. There are so many black women in history who have earned their place through their contributions to social justice, advocacy, and civil rights. The aforementioned women such as Alice Walker and Sojourner Truth did more than provide art, but they used their art form to elevate and empower women as well as their race.

Put a Ring on It, If I was a Boy, and Bootylicious is an insult to put her in the same class as those women.

[American Pride]

05:59 PM on 01/28/2012

Beyonce, is beautiful inside and out....don't hate!

[drhooper]

06:33 PM on 01/28/2012

Beyonce is great for the arena that she is in. Our African-History and our educational systems are under attack. Right wing extremist are investing money into our school and universities program our children with what they want them to know. They are trying to rewrite history and take slavery out of it. This is much bigger than Beyonce.

[Ivoire]

06:57 AM on 01/29/2012

As a french/African black woman, I have a lot of admiration for US black women who fight(ed) for their rights. My favourite one is Maya Angelou. Those women did more than Beyonce, and I see her much more like a marketing product than a true artist.

[drhooper]

10:37 AM on 01/29/2012

With the price of tuition, do we really want to use it to studying something that can be found in Jet, Ebony or Essence.

[JTJMOMEDTEK]

08:48 PM on 01/27/2012

I love her hair!

[rabbitfurcoat]

08:19 PM on 01/27/2012

Unless the finals are on plagarism, p*ssy poppin and having the best lacefronts in the business I don't think I'll sign up tbh.
Extra credit if you can name the women who left Destiny's Child in order of departure date.

Pretty soon they're going to offer a major in Pop Culture Studies and minors in Dubstep and The Simpsons. My brother's college currently have a Twilight course...yes really.

I read somewhere that the class will compare Beyonce's work with writings from the likes of Bell Hooks, Alice Walker and even Sojourner Truth.
I honestly would like to hear what comes out of this discussion. Like, for real. Ain't I A Woman vs Check On It: DISCUSS.

[jadeputy01]

07:54 PM on 01/27/2012

I guess this means she is voteing and supporting Mitt Romney ???

[sincerelyty]

07:01 PM on 01/27/2012

Sign me up! Love, Beyonce and I would enjoy debating her haters.

[rabbitfurcoat]

08:04 PM on 01/27/2012

But wouldn't it just be a class full of her fans and others that like her ??

[terrinyc29]

06:22 PM on 01/27/2012

Beyonce compared to Alice Walker and Sojourner Truth, I guess there's some logic in this somewhere

[EvaluatingItAll]

07:55 PM on 01/27/2012

I didn't see where she was going to be compared to them; only that their writings would be included in the curriculum.

[drhooper]

01:18 AM on 01/28/2012

That's like having a class on Shakespeare, Emerson, Voltaire, and Jay-Z (B#t@hes). Does that same right? These women are held to the hold the same pedigree in the African-American history as the Europeans mentioned above. This is a sad sad day for Education.

[EvaluatingItAll]

05:27 PM on 01/27/2012

I think it could be an interesting topic if approached the right way. She is a role model to younger women and some of her songs do address empowerment of women within relationships, e.g., Single Ladies ("If you liked it then you should put a ring on it"); Irreplaceable (not tolerating a partner's infidelity); and Upgrade U (being an asset within a relationship but maintaining a sense of self). Also, because current, traditional students are familiar with her, her music and her businesses, they will be able to relate to the material in a way that they would not be able to relate to the Roaring Twenties (as an example).

The course sounds like a special topics offering within the program: the name is "Feminist Perspectives: Politicizing Beyonce"; generally these courses are intended as electives for students within the major, or as interdisciplinary offerings. The reading list for the course includes Alice Walker and Sojourner Truth and also discusses Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, and Amy Winehouse along with Lady Gaga. Rutgers is not a bottom-tier school and I am confident that the department head evaluated the course for academic worthiness before approving it. If I was a student there, I think it would be a very interesting and educational course.

[Victoria Trower]

06:45 PM on 01/28/2012

I disagree. Single Ladies was a complete hypocritical stance as was Irreplaceable (which she didn't right, a man did). Why? Because it is well known that Jay-Z has, was, and regularly unfaithful to his wife so him "putting" a ring on it meant nothing, but on the off chance that it did she stakes in Ring The Alarm that she's been "doing it too long" and she'll be "damned if she sees another chick on you arm?" How in one song on the same album can you call out your man for cheating but then in another go into a tizzy when your man is cheating and the prompt response is not to direct him to the left, but to refuse to give him up so that his new piece can't get the rocks and material possession that YOU want for yourself?

That is the difference between her and people like Alanis and Sarah McLachlan and real artists. Their albums have themes (even her first album Dangerously in Love had a semi theme). You can see the progression of their growth from composition to composition. Their songs and albums tell a story relevant to their lives. Bey can't do this because her life is all an act. There is not authenticity to it.

She is 30 (side eye) and she's talking about stuff she did when she was in her 20s. Smoke and mirrors.

[passingthought]

07:10 AM on 01/29/2012

please get a life! the best thing we do as a society is build someone up then try to nit pic and tear them down! still bought the cd didnt you?

[HikeAT]

10:13 PM on 01/31/2012

Though I personally dislike Beyonce and everything she stands for (ie bad music, and people famous for being famous), there's nothing wrong with a course offering a diachronic cross cultural study of entertaining women and women's entertainment..