EAST LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Move over, Economics 101 – Michigan State University (MSU) students can now earn credit dissecting Taylor Swift and her effect on culture, fandom, and the modern-day economy of celebrity.
According to the State News, a student petition prompted Michigan State University to update its Integrative Studies in Social Science (ISS) 210 course to let students analyze society through the lens of Taylor Swift, though disappointingly, it doesn’t have a clever name to match.
MORE NEWS: Three Dead In Small Plane Crash In Clinton County
On the MSU website, the ISS 210 class is described as “Society and the Individual. Interdisciplinary exploration of social problems, relationships, institutions. Exploring diverse perspectives and cultural practices associated with diverse characteristics.”
The Swift-focused class, taught by Assistant Professor Emily Muhich, isn’t about perfecting friendship bracelets or decoding Swift’s song “All Too Well.” It’s a legit social science class – one of two MSU requires.
And while Muhich says she’s not a Swiftie (“I’m becoming increasingly engaged with her as I’ve been prepping for the class”), she insists there’s academic meat under all the glitter: “We’re trying to teach skills and give (students) the ability to think about complex ideas. I think we can pretty clearly do that with Taylor Swift.”
From “folklore” to fieldwork.
The class isn’t just fan-service. Units like Self-Fashioning and Fandom and Wider Culture tackle identity and celebrity economics. Students analyze how pop culture mirrors society – through Swift’s many musical reincarnations.
Even non-Swifties are showing up. Psychology freshman Taline Caliskan enrolled because her advisor suggested it. “I just listen to her music. I like her music. I don’t have any opinions on her as a person,” she said.
A campus trend that’s gone… global.
MSU is not alone though. Across the country, universities have been giving Swift the ivory-tower treatment including:
- Harvard: “Taylor Swift and Her World”
- NYU: “The Taylor Swift Songbook”
- Arizona State: “The Psychology of Taylor Swift”
- UC Berkeley: “Artistry and Entrepreneurship: Taylor’s Version”
At this point, you could practically get a minor in Swift Studies before mastering the periodic table.
Blank space, but for credits.
Assistant Professor Muhich says the goal isn’t idol worship – it’s critical thinking. “You can be any major and still take so much out of this course,” said student assistant Alex Guo, who helped petition for it. “We’re teaching students how to come up with theories, how to respond to points, fostering collaborative discussion.”
Finals week vibes? Just Shake It Off.
So, if you’re stressing over calculus, just remember – some lucky students are getting graded on Folklore. And yes, it still counts as social science – glitter and all.
