INQ-277 | Hollywood Screen Violence: The late 1960s through the 2980 and beyond

Topic Description:

The complex and often opaque relationships amongst screen violence, the institutions of media production, and popular culture remain a topical area of debate and criticism: Does the prevalence of graphic violence in the entertainment media reflect larger economic, historical, and cultural contexts? This course takes an historical and critical approach to examine these relationships through popular American films, e.g., the link between packaged screen violence by the Hollywood industry and the American zeitgeist of the 1980s, and potential factors that fuel the persistence of screen violence, including the ideals of masculinity. Focusing largely on mainstream American films between the late 1960s through the 1980s, this course will also encourage students to consider the impact of screen violence on contemporary media entertainment.

Course Types Offered: On-Campus

Topic Approved: February 2016