Film & Television Studies: South Korea: K Culture, Cinema

Investigations of nation and identity in film and/or television approached in their specific cultural, historical, and theoretical terms. Emphasis on themes appropriate to the Developing Global Citizens requirement. May be repeated for credit. Topics vary by offering; periodic offering at intervals that may exceed four years. Prerequisites: FTS 1300, FTS 1320, FTS 1400, FTS 1420, or FTS 1430.

Prereqs enforced by the system: FTS 1400, 1420, or 1430 PACE students with permission and override

Paying attention to the important role popular culture plays in representations of society and social subjects, this course undertakes an in-depth examination of K-Pop, K-Drama, and K-Cinema, the areas in which what we broadly term K-Culture produces interesting and provocative images of South Korean people and society, while touching upon the universal human subject in the era of global capitalism. We will analyze K-Culture ranging from (insert your favorite K-pop star here) and Squid Game, to the films of Bong Joon-ho and others, and observe how they are an aesthetic response to the cultural, political, and social conditions in South Korea and beyond. A crucial part of your learning in this class will be participating in discussions. You think as you listen, and you articulate the ideas that you formulate as you listen. I DO NOT use Power Points in my classes as they stunt our capacity for spontaneous intellectual engagement.