2. Explore Your Topic

After thoroughly examining your assignment, now it's time to look for some initial background research on popular culture. Try a search in the following database to learn more about popular culture. Remember, you need one source that defines popular culture and why it is so popular.

Credo Reference
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Search "popular culture" for subject encyclopedia articles that cover the definition of what popular or "pop" culture is and its history.

History of Popular Culture

You'll also want to explore the history of popular culture and contrast the past with the present, looking at how it has changed. Look for articles about popular culture in one of our history databases to help you get started exploring this area.

Gale in Context: U.S. History
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Search "popular culture" in this history database to learn about popular culture throughout history. Particularly look at the "Reference" articles for overviews, focusing on historical overviews of groups or time periods (note - there will also be recent popular culture in addition to historical).

Analyze Your Topic

Remember you're looking for sources that help you answer these questions in regard to popular culture in general.

Primary source 1: choose an artifact of pop culture to reference in your paper and serve as an example of popular culture.

Outside source 1: Define pop culture in your own words.

Outside source 2: When did popular culture start and why?

Outside source 3: Compare/contrast pop culture of the past vs. the present. How has it changed?