Interim Courses 2011
The following course, taught by Professor Elisha Marr, will be taught for interim 2011:
Hollywood: Dream Factory
Dates: Jan. 4-6, 23-24 on campus; Jan. 7-22 in the Los Angeles area
Southern California is the capital of the global entertainment industry. Its status as a center of cultural power rivals that of New York and Washington as the center of financial and political power, respectively. But what distinguishes Hollywood from these two other cities is that it is more than merely a geographic locus of activity; it is also a larger-than-life symbol in an elaborate mythology rooted in western modernity. In numerous ways Hollywood shapes hearts and minds, teaching people how to think about themselves and the world in which they live.
This course will examine three distinct stages of production and consumption identified by the sociology of culture: its highly stratified, profit-driven organization; its networked, project-based execution; and its mass-marketed, niche-oriented reception. The three highly interrelated industries based in Los Angeles – motion pictures, television, and popular music – serve as the field site. Visits to industry locations and interviews with industry participants will be supplemented by a variety of written and visual resources, as well as regular lectures and discussions, to give students a “backstage” perspective that will help them understand culture and the Hollywood mythology more critically.
