Eastern Makes Swift Addition To Course Offerings With Class On Pop Star

WILLIMANTIC, CT — As Taylor Swift's 12th studio album gets released, Eastern Connecticut State University is offering a new course for students this fall that explores the pop superstar's career and influence.

Taught by history Professor and Department Chair Caitlin Carenen, the course, titled, "The Power of Taylor Swift," has drawn "significant interest," with its two sections having reached enrollment capacity.

From curious minds to Swift's most devoted fans, the course is open to all students as part of Eastern's Liberal Arts Core curriculum, or ELAC, the centerpiece to Eastern's mission as "Connecticut's only public liberal arts university." ELAC is meant to broaden perspectives beyond students' major studies and develop five key learning outcomes, including critical thinking, ethical reasoning, communication, creativity, and quantitative literacy skills.

The course's syllabus poses a central question: "So what?"

Over the course of the semester, students in "The Power of Taylor Swift" will develop two ELAC skills — communication and creativity — while also delving into the fields of psychology, literature, business, and intercultural studies through careful analysis of the singer.

A major focus of the course is Swift's creativity as a lyrical poet and creative storyteller.

"I was really impressed when I found out that she was her own songwriter," Carenen said.

Students will spend time analyzing Swift's albums to uncover deeper messages.

Carenen shared an example of Swift's resilience and marketing savvy.

She said, "After being called a 'snake' during a public feud in 2016, Swift responded by using snakes as a prominent part of her set design for her 2017 'Reputation' tour, reclaiming the symbol as part of her branding."

When Swift is symbolized negatively, Carenen said, "her response is to lean into it." She added that although Swift is a celebrity with a highly scrutinized private life, students should be able to learn some central takeaways from her decision-making processes.

"Not only do I like the sound of her music, but she makes some hard-hitting literary references," Carenen said. She added that learning foundations in psychology, business strategy, and the importance of resilience "will give students a tool to listen to 'The Life of a Showgirl' in a different way than they might have before taking the class."

Students also examine Swift's involvement as a feminist activist and LGBTQIA+ ally, as well as her long-standing position as a "disruptor" within the music industry.

"With these topics, students learn the psychology, literary theory, business strategies, and politics of Swift," Carenen said.

With a research background in terrorism, religion, and foreign policy, Carenen felt inspired to explore a new topic while designing the course.

"For me, it's a fun challenge to take on something that's different," she said. "I'm not relying on my area of expertise at all."

Having published scholarly works on the Palestine-Israeli conflict and American Zionism, Carenen took the new course covering a celebrity as a welcome challenge. She also clarified that, although the class may seem lighthearted at its surface, it isn't meant to be an "easy A."

University courses focused on celebrities have gained popularity nationwide, with courses being introduced studying Bad Bunny at Yale, Lady Gaga at New York University, and Swift at Harvard and Stanford, among others, she said.