Cultural Foundations (CCCF-SHU)

Childhood is a persistent topic of countless films and other screen-based media products worldwide, with an intended audience not limited to children. The focus of this course is not children’s films per se, but “childhood” in world cinema and in popular culture, discussed from an array of historical and theoretical perspectives. The concerns and topics of the course include: the intimate relationship between early cinema and childhood (and by extension, childhood and modernity); conceptions and representations of childhood in different cinematic (and cultural) traditions and historical periods; ideological critiques and other theoretical models in engaging screen and media portrayals of childhood, including feminism, gender and sexuality studies, postcolonial studies, and child studies. Weekly screenings will feature early actualities, silent narrative film, musical, documentary, animation, and more. Students are expected to actively take part in discussions and presentations, and complete a final research paper. Fulfillment: general elective