Tapping into Parallel Universes: Using Superhero Comic Books in Sociology Courses

Abstract

that sociology instructors need not follow the traditional teaching model of lecturing to a captive audience. Fiction, film, and music are popular culture media that have been suggested as means for establishing links between sociology and the real world outside our classrooms (Laz 1996; Loewen 1991; Martinez 1995; Pescosolido 1990). Given the visibility of comic book characters in American culture, it is surprising that more sociologists have not looked to comic books as another resource for teaching. A common goal in teaching is to connect the parallel universes of sociology and everyday life to show students the relevance of the sociological perspective. Sociology provides a unique perspective on popular culture items such as comic books. By using comic books in class, instructors can provide students with an illustration of how sociology is applicable even in places where they may least expect it to be relevant. As a universe within everyday life, and an accessible medium, comic books can provide illustrations of a variety of sociological concepts and topics. Their stories and settings parallel life, offering an analytical milieu that, while exaggerated in some ways, shows some of the same phenomena that exist in contemporary culture. Incorporating the exercise we present below provides an easy way to give students some hands-on experience doing sociology and some further insight into the pertinence of a sociological perspective. In this note, we provide objectives and guidelines for preparing and executing a classroom exercise using superhero comic books. We describe variations of the exercise and make specific suggestions about how to use it in different sociology courses. Finally, we discuss where to obtain comic books and the costs involved in purchasing them.