EXP 1112 - A World of Monsters

Credits: 3

Explorations Courses focus on enduring questions. Enduring questions do not have easy answers; instead, they encourage examination of complex issues from multiple perspectives, introspection, evidence-based arguments, and learning how to respectfully discuss controversial and difficult topics. This course is a film class that explores examples of the monstrous in world-wide cinema and popular culture. It asks such questions as, What is a monster? What makes a monster “a monster,” and why? What do we do with monsters, and what does it say about us - our culture, our society, ourselves, and the world we live in? Using the monster as a powerful metaphor, we will investigate and discuss the role of the monster/ monstrous across a variety of popular movies from around the world, from classic to current cinema. We will examine how monsters can help us interpret our anxieties about the challenges we face in our lives, from technology to climate change, from global health to world economy, from consumer culture to race and gender relations, and so on. Whenever appropriate, we will also “sample” comics, TV shows, fan art, classic tales, and popular novels. Students will also examine the Merrimack Connections curriculum.
Fulfills: AL and D in LS Core