Related Guides
About Sociology of Popular Culture
This guide provides selected course-specific resources for SO253: Sociology of Popular Culture, taught by Professor Ashley Mears.
The Sociology of "Monopoly"
- The Hidden Genius of Monopoly's Rules | Game/Show | PBS Digital Studios We all know the Monopoly rules right? You roll dice, move your piece, buy property, and… five hours later we're tired and bored and HATE MONOPOLY in general. Why? Because MONOPOLY IS TERRIBLE, right? Well, actually maybe not. The Monopoly game we think we're playing is actually something COMPLETELY DIFFERENT than the one we actually play. Whether this is Monopoly online, the Monopoly board game, or even CAT MONOPOLY, we approach the game almost completely wrong. But why? WHY?! Watch this week's episode of PBS Game/Show and find out!
- Monopoly is Theft: The Antimonopolist History of the World's Most Popular Board Game (Harper's Magazine) The true origins of Monopoly.
- Behind the Cardboard Streets (Medium.com) The true history of the Atlantic City Monopoly board.
- Monopoly Was Designed to Teach the 99% About Income Inequality (Smithsonian Magazine) The story you’ve heard about the creation of the famous board game is far from true.
Find Books on the history of the Monopoly game
