GSGS 421 (3 units): This course will utilize social science perspectives to analyze and critique films. Students will view major motion pictures from an academic perspective comparing and contrasting the interests of social scientists and the artists who have produced each film. The class will also combine an introduction to the concerns of the individual disciplines within the social sciences (e.g. economics, political science, psychology, sociology), their interdisciplinary relationships, and a meaningful study of film.

Prerequisites: upper class standing

Students for whom the course is intended: The most obvious answer to this is that we hope to attract students with nobility of spirit and purity of heart. While this course will not count towards the General Education requirements, or towards major requirements, it will count towards the forty units of upper division requirement, and we also expect it to make a major contribution towards the student’s understanding of Culture and the cultural pluralism that is a hallmark of America.

Rationale: this course is based on two major premises, that the study of African-American culture is important and has tended to be neglected in higher education, and that students respond very well to studying culture through the lens of film.