module specification

This module considers what we might learn about contemporary America through the history of Hollywood film and American television. What might screen depictions of US culture from the past and the present tell us about social, cultural and political patterns that are far from new in contemporary America but instead are core elements of national identity. You will examine various aspects of 21st Century American culture and politics and explore their origins across the 20th Century through their depiction within the history of Hollywood and American television. Simultaneously, you will consider how the contemporary screen has become both a space in which aspects of the society, culture and politics of the US are revealed and critiqued and how, by connecting the past to the present, we might better understand their development and existence in present-day America.

In this module you will:

• Examine some of the cultural and political concerns of 21st Century US culture evident in American film and television of both the past and present

• Critically analyse the ways in which elements of recent US culture are exposed and critiqued through contemporary screen representations

• Explore the ways in which American film and television history connects contemporary US culture with its origins in the past

• Consider patterns and traditions that emerge by connecting the past to the present through the history of Hollywood and American television

• Consider what such critical analysis might reveal about core elements of America’s national identity and traditions

An indicative syllabus for this module will first explore some of the cultural and political concerns of the 21st Century. Topics may include, for example, the media-created celebrity politician, #MeToo, Time’s Up and gendered abuse and inequality, the Black Lives Matter movement, police violence and racial inequality, the political and religious grifter figure, political extremism, and abuse within Hollywood. (LO1)

The module will examine a variety of such concerns as they have repeatedly been represented across the history of Hollywood film and American television and within their specific contexts. (LO2) In addition, students will explore the contemporary US context and screen representations of key issues and debates. This approach will enable students to understand both the existence of these patterns and concerns throughout US history, and how they connect to the present day. (LO3) Throughout the module and their developing understanding of these connections, students will critically analyse in classes and through their assignments films and television shows that may include, for example, A Face in the Crowd (1957), Elmer Gantry (1960), Detroit (2017), The Good Fight (2017-2022), She Said (2022) and Mad Men (2007-2015). (LO4)

The module’s teaching is built around weekly classes that combine lectures, seminars and film screenings. This strategy enables students to develop their understanding of module’s key themes and other content and work towards the learning outcomes, and provides the opportunity for group and guided learning through each of these forms of teaching. Students are guided through independent learning with opportunities for tutorials through the course of the module and with additional support from our academic tutor. The module takes a blended learning approach by providing recordings of lectures and additional material on WebLearn.

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:

(1) Demonstrate knowledge of some of the key cultural and political concerns evident in 21st Century US culture;

(2) Critically analyse the representation of these cultural and political concerns across the history of Hollywood film and American television within their specific contexts;

(3) Demonstrate an understanding of how America’s film and television history provides a lens through which to understand the development of aspects of US culture and politics evident in 21st Century America;

(4) Critically discuss and analyse the patterns and traditions critiqued through film and television history and the contemporary screen.

https://rl.talis.com/3/londonmet/lists/5846F767-E48F-FC70-A3E3-122C29C46FB9.html