FAVz029 Political Economy of Film and the Case of Disney

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2011
Extent and Intensity
0/0/0. 5 credit(s). Recommended Type of Completion: k (colloquium). Other types of completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Janet Wasko (lecturer)
Mgr. Šimon Bauer (assistant)
Mgr. Luděk Havel, Ph.D. (assistant)
doc. Mgr. Petr Szczepanik, Ph.D. (alternate examiner)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. Petr Szczepanik, Ph.D.
Department of Film Studies and Audiovisual Culture – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: doc. Mgr. Petr Szczepanik, Ph.D.
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 120 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/120, only registered: 0/120, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/120
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 15 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
To understand political economy of film and media.
Syllabus
  • Political Economy of Film and the Case of Disney
  • Dec. 12, Monday, 14.10 – 17.25 A. Introduction to the seminar The lecture will present an overview of the seminar and some of the issues and arguments that will be discussed in more depth during other lectures.
  • B. Studying political economy of media This section will present an outline of some of the theories and methods used to study the political economy of media. The discussion also will include comparisons with other research approaches, especially recent ones that reject political economic analysis.
  • Dec. 13, Tuesday, 12.30–15.45 A. Studying the political economy of film: Historical foundations The discussion will focus specifically on the study of motion pictures as commodities and will survey the history of film production, distribution and exhibition in the U.S. as a foundation for understanding other film industries.
  • B. Studying the political economy of film: Contemporary Hollywood Contemporary Hollywood will be explored through an overview of current film industry structure and policies. Critical issues that will be considered will include ownership and control, Hollywood workers and trade unions, the international marketing of film and new technological developments.
  • Dec. 14, Wednesday, 12.30–15.45 A. Case Study: Disney -- Historical foundations The Walt Disney Company will be used as a case study to exemplify studying the political economy of media/film. The first lecture will trace the history of the Disney Company, including attention to the contributions of Walt Disney and the evolution of the Classic Disney model.
  • B. Case Study: Disney -- Contemporary issues The final lecture will explore the Disney company outlining its extensive corporate holdings, as well as its popularity and influence around the world. Some attention will be given to the economic, political and culture significance of Hollywood companies such as Disney.
  • Advance readings:
  • Vincent Mosco, “Political Economy of the Media,” in Wolfgang Donsbach (ed.), International Encyclopedia of Communication, Blackwell Publications, 2008.
  • Janet Wasko, “The Death of Hollywood: Exaggeration or Reality?” in Wasko, Murdock and Sousa (eds.), Handbook of Political Economy of Communications, Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, 2011.
  • Janet Wasko, "Challenging Disney Myths," Journal of Communication Inquiry, Vol. 25, No. 3, July 2001, 237-257.
  • Readings for the final exam:
  • Graham Murdock, “Marx on Commodities, Contradictions and Globalisations: Resources for a Critique of Marketised Culture,” ecompós (Revista da Associação Nacional dos Programas de Pós-Graduação em Comunicação). Online at: http://www.compos.org.br/seer/index.php/e-compos/article/view/95/94
  • Janet Wasko, “The Political Economy of Motion Pictures,” in Charles Moul, ed., The Handbook of Movie Economics, Cambridge University Press, 2005.
  • Wasko, Phillips and Meehan (eds.), Dazzled by Disney? The Global Disney Audience Project, London: Leicester University Press, 2001. Chapter 1: Janet Wasko, “Is It a Small World After All?” Chapter 5: Kirsten Drotner, “’Donald Seems So Danish’: Disney and the Formation of Cultural Identity” Chapter 15: Janet Wasko and Eileen R. Meehan, “Dazzled by Disney? Ambiguity in Ubiquity”
Literature
    recommended literature
  • Cross-border cultural production : economic runaway of globlalization? Edited by Janet Wasko - Mary Erickson. Amherst: Cambria Press, 2008, ix, 382. ISBN 9781934043783. info
  • The contemporary Hollywood film industry. Edited by Paul McDonald - Janet Wasko. 1st pub. Malden: Blackwell Publishing, 2008, xvii, 326. ISBN 9781405133883. info
  • WASKO, Janet. How Hollywood Works. London: SAGE Publications Ltd., 2003, 248 pp. info
  • WASKO, Janet. Understanding Disney :the manufacture of fantasy. 1st pub. Cambridge: Polity Press, 2001, ix, 261 s. ISBN 0-7456-1484-1. info
Teaching methods
Lectures and seminars.
Assessment methods
Written test.
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
Information on completion of the course: Full time students: 100% presence at the lectures is required. Distance students: two absences are tolerated.
The course is taught only once.
The course is taught: in blocks.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
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