Twerking just got serious with the launch of a university course devoted to Miley Cyrus.

The former Disney star will be studied by sociology undergraduates at an art college in New York. The course, called The Sociology of Miley Cyrus: Race, Class, Gender and Media, begins at Skidmore College this summer.

Professor Carolyn Chernoff said she was inspired to launch the course by discussions about twerking after she played a clip from the MTV Video Music Awards while teaching a course in youth culture.

She said: `I showed that video to my class, and the students had so much to say.` The 21-year-old star will be used as a jump-off point for explorations of gender, race, class, economic status, identity, fame, sexualisation, oppression and power.

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