The importance of sports to American society and popular culture cannot be denied, and this seminar will study sports films' vital significance in representing the intersection of sports, history, and social identities. This seminar explores how the role of competition between individuals and teams in sports films relate to the competing discourses on race, gender, class, and sexuality in society at large. Additionally, we will examine how social issues are understood in sporting terms and concepts, such as: the hero and the underdog; urban and rural; natural talent versus hard work; and the individual versus team identity.

Full details for PMA 2501 - Playing out Difference: History and Identity in Sports Film

Full details for PMA 2511 - Video Essays with the Camera Pen

While there has been much said in the news about reality television’s adverse effects on society, our class asks, “which kind”? Reality television has been around in some form or fashion for the last 50 years. Considering reality television as a mode of production, we will survey the different genres of reality television and assess its influence on society from a variety of standpoints: industry, economics, and culture.

Full details for PMA 3469 - Reality TV: The History, The Economics, The Pleasure Without Guilt