124265 KO Critical Media Analysis (2017S)

Every culture has myths and legends which explain the world they live in and incorporate in narrative pressing realities of their time and place. The European tradition of fairytales which emerged in the 18th century contributed to building the national imaginary and encoded socio-cultural beliefs about family structure and gender roles, attitudes to money, and were coping mechanisms to deal with the unknown, the unsettling, and the undesirable. Not merely children’s stories, fairy tales, as Marina Warner puts it, are “stories held in common about our deepest dilemmas [. . .] bearers of wisdom, deep, thought-provoking, and illuminating.” This class studies the key themes of 1) home and the unknown, 2) gender roles and transgression, and 3) fantasy and alterity across different retellings, different media forms, and for different target audiences. We analyse their constant evolution to reflect changing social and cultural mores, and look at their translation across cultures, languages and different historical times.
AIMS:
To apply the tools of CMA to certain fairytales across different media types. To introduce students to analytical techniques of visual media including social semiotics and multi modality. To encourage students to apply CMA to media texts of their choice through an individual final essay topic. A course focus on pedagogical applications of CMA and academic essay writing makes this class relevant to students’ further study.