AJ27081 Hollywood High School: A History of American Teen Films

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2018
Extent and Intensity
0/2/0. 2 credit(s) (plus 3 credits for an exam). Recommended Type of Completion: zk (examination). Other types of completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
Björn Sonnenberg-Schrank (lecturer), doc. PhDr. Tomáš Pospíšil, Ph.D. (deputy)
Mgr. Mária Baranová (assistant)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. Jana Chamonikolasová, Ph.D.
Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Tomáš Hanzálek
Supplier department: Department of English and American Studies – Faculty of Arts
Prerequisites (in Czech)
SOUHLAS
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 12 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/12, only registered: 0/12, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/12
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 12 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives (in Czech)
In this seminar, we will retrace the cultural history of 'the teenager' in the USA using the perspective suggested by so-called teen films and television shows. While there have always been young people, the teenager as a term and as an idea is a 20th century development. Especially in the USA, the cinematic teenager has been a projection screen for hopes and fears, inspiring 'youth problem films' about violent, drugged-out and over-sexed juvenile delinquents, as well as narratives about teens who see through the lies of their morally corrupt teachers and parents. American teen films have since their inception after the 2nd World War depicted and prescribed ideal types and roles, set up models and patterns, and echoed, affirmed or subverted the cultural climate of their times. We will watch and analyze examples and protagonists from different eras: from the rebellious youngsters in post-war America like James Dean and Marlon Brando to the teen movie boom in the 1980s (with its various forms between the John Hughes comedies and dramas and the infamous horror classics). From the 1990s with the first wave of African-American teen films and postmodern/revisionist comedies, to recent productions such as Twilight, High School Musical, The DUFF, or Dope. We will approach these films as artifacts that help us retrace the broader cultural history of the USA and watch them against the backdrop of historical, political, and societal shifts; and we will read different theoretical texts to decipher and deal with (pop)cultural phenomena and apply them to the films we'll be watching, from film theory to psychoanalysis to gender studies (e.g. Laura Mulvey, Carol Clover, Jacques Lacan, Louis Althusser).
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught only once.
The course is taught: in blocks.
Note related to how often the course is taught: March 26 - March 29, 2018. Department Conference Room (G316, Gorkého 7, 3rd Floor).
Teacher's information
https://webcentrum.muni.cz/media/3062025/syllabus-brno.pdf
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