Narrative

Mark Pedelty is an Associate Professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. His current research deals with the politics of popular culture, with emphasis on music and the environment. Dr. Pedelty earned his PhD in Anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley in 1993. His dissertation involved ethnographic fieldwork among reporters in El Salvador and resulted in War Stories: The Culture of Foreign Correspondents (Routledge 1995). Professor Pedelty’s second field project resulted in a book entitled Musical Ritual in Mexico City: From the Aztec to NAFTA (University of Texas 2004). He has published numerous journal articles and book chapters concerning media, performance, and popular music. As a Fellow at the Institute on the Environment, Pedelty is filming a documentary about Metro Blooms' raingarden project in the Powderhorn, an innovative attempt to improve water quality in the Twin Cities and beyond. Pedelty has taught a range of undergraduate and graduate courses, ranging from Global Seminars in Mexico to performance-based courses examining the relationship between popular culture and the environment. He currently teaches two graduate seminars: (1) Media Ethnography and (2) Mass Media and Social Change.