Swiftie in school
UC offers unique course dedicated to Taylor Swift
For the second year in a row, the University of Cincinnati is offering a course that puts a pop-culture twist on philosophy. The class, Taylor Swift and Philosophy, explores the deeper meanings behind Swift’s lyrics and public persona while prompting students to consider broader questions about love, identity, and ethics.
The class gained media attention on Oct. 2, when Local 12 reporter Chelsea Sick visited campus to cover the course the day before the release of Swift’s new album, The Life of a Showgirl.
Taught by UC philosophy professors Melissa Jacquart and Thomas Polger, the course has drawn 30 students—many of them lifelong Swift fans—who say they initially enrolled out of admiration for the singer but quickly discovered it offered much more than fan discussion. “It’s a humanities credit, and I needed a humanities credit, but I’ve also been a lifelong Swiftie,” UC student Ava Speelman tells Local 12.
Swifties are known for wearing friendship bracelets and making heart symbols with their hands. Photo courtesy of iStock/Jelena990.
In the segment, Jacquart explains that she and Polger designed the class to use Swift’s songwriting and career as an entry point to philosophical inquiry. “Some of the big themes in her life really resonate with all of our students’ lives—things like what it means to be in love, what kinds of love there are, and how we should be responsible to other people in society,” Jacquart relays. “Part of what we do is use Taylor Swift’s life and music as examples to pair with philosophical texts.”
Students say that connection helps make complex material more accessible and relevant. “Having something to relate it to—something I’ve known my whole life—has definitely made it easier to understand and process,” Speelman said.
Jacquart hopes the class not only deepens students’ understanding of philosophy but also encourages more women to pursue it. “This class, I really hope, brings in students seeing that philosophy is for them—that it matters, that it can help them understand their own lives better,” she says.
Featured photo at top of friendship bracelets made by Melissa Jacquart. Photo/provided.
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