Active Outline

General Information

Course ID (CB01A and CB01B)
F/TVD003A
Course Title (CB02)
American Cultures in Film
Course Credit Status
Credit - Degree Applicable
Effective Term
Fall 2023
Course Description
This course analyzes the representation of various American cultures in film with a focus on media produced by and/or about at least three of the following groups: African Americans, Asian Americans, indigenous peoples of the United States, Chicanos/Latinos/Latinx, and/or European Americans. Applying core concepts of cinematic language and media theory, the course will examine how mainstream and independent cinema construct depictions of American cultures with an emphasis on stereotyping, otherness, and marginalization. These filmic representations of difference will be placed within historical and global contexts.
Faculty Requirements
Course Family
Not Applicable

Course Justification

This course is a pre-major preparation requirement in the discipline of Film and Media Studies for at least one CSU or UC. This course is on the Film/TV: Screenwriting A.A. degree pattern. The course meets a student-identified need for UC or CSU transfer and is our only course focusing on the filmic representation of American cultures.

Foothill Equivalency

Does the course have a Foothill equivalent?
No
Foothill Course ID

Course Philosophy

Formerly Statement

Course Development Options

Basic Skill Status (CB08)
Course is not a basic skills course.
Grade Options
  • Letter Grade
  • Pass/No Pass
Repeat Limit
0

Transferability & Gen. Ed. Options

Transferability
Transferable to both UC and CSU
De Anza GEArea(s)StatusDetails
2GC1De Anza GE Area C1 - ArtsApproved
2GC2De Anza GE Area C2 - HumanitiesApproved
CSU GEArea(s)StatusDetails
CGC1CSU GE Area C1 - ArtsApproved
CGC2CSU GE Area C2 - HumanitiesApproved
IGETCArea(s)StatusDetails
IG3BIGETC Area 3B - HumanitiesApproved
IG3AIGETC Area 3A - ArtsApproved

Units and Hours

Summary

Minimum Credit Units
4.0
Maximum Credit Units
4.0

Weekly Student Hours

TypeIn ClassOut of Class
Lecture Hours4.08.0
Laboratory Hours0.00.0

Course Student Hours

Course Duration (Weeks)
12.0
Hours per unit divisor
36.0
Course In-Class (Contact) Hours
Lecture
48.0
Laboratory
0.0
Total
48.0
Course Out-of-Class Hours
Lecture
96.0
Laboratory
0.0
NA
0.0
Total
96.0

Prerequisite(s)

Corequisite(s)

Advisory(ies)

EWRT D001A or EWRT D01AH or ESL D005.

Limitation(s) on Enrollment

Entrance Skill(s)

General Course Statement(s)

(See general education pages for the requirements this course meets.)

Methods of Instruction

Lecture and visual aids

Discussion of assigned reading

In-class essays

In-class exploration of Internet sites

Quiz and examination review performed in class

Homework and extended projects

Guest speakers

Collaborative learning and small group exercises

Other: Film screenings and facilitated group discussions

Assignments

  1. Assigned reading
    1. Required textbook
    2. Periodicals, journals, and scholarly articles on Internet sites
  2. Film screenings
  3. Writing
    1. Critical analysis focusing on race, ethnicity, culture, and/or gender in an American film produced by and/or about one of the following groups studied in class: African Americans, Asian Americans, indigenous peoples of the United States, Latinx or

      European Americans
    2. In-class written analysis of media screened during class
    3. Midterm and final essay exams requiring students to demonstrate some achievement of course objectives regarding American cultures depicted in film

Methods of Evaluation

  1. Midterm and two-hour final examination using a combination of objective, short answer and essay questions to evaluate the student's grasp of the film-specific terminology, theories, core concepts, and methods of analysis that comprise the course content. The essay component will require critical thinking and analysis reflecting upon filmic  representations of American cultures and their effect on the student's life.
  2. Evaluation of student participation in and contribution to classroom discussions and in-class collaborative work, including analyses of media screened during class.
  3. Demonstration of the student's visual literacy and ability to analyze, synthesize, and communicate concepts about the depiction of American cultures in media; using film-specific language and the application of the analytical tools learned in class.

Essential Student Materials/Essential College Facilities

Essential Student Materials: 
  • None
Essential College Facilities:
  • Classroom with DVD/Blu-ray deck

Examples of Primary Texts and References

AuthorTitlePublisherDate/EditionISBN
Belton, JohnAmerican Cinema/American CultureMcGraw-Hill2021/6th edition1260837211
Benshoff, Henry M.America on Film: Representing Race, Class, Gender and Sexuality at the MoviesWiley-Blackwell2021/3rd edition1118743652
Kolker, Robert P.The Cultures of American FilmOxford UP2014/1st edition9780199753420
Pearson, Wendy Gay, and Susan Knabe, editorsReverse Shots: Indigenous Film and Media in an International ContextWilfrid Laurier UP2014/1st edition1554583357
Rocchio, Vincent F.Reel Racism: Confronting Hollywood's Construction of Afro-American CultureRoutledge2000/1st edition0813367107

Examples of Supporting Texts and References

None.

Learning Outcomes and Objectives

Course Objectives

  • Examine the technology, power structure, and labor practices of the Hollywood studio system and the role of independent filmmaking in the American motion picture industry
  • Apply media theories, concepts and methodological approaches relevant to understanding the discipline of cinema and the representation of American cultural groups
  • Analyze multiple dimensions of media stereotypes in respect to at least three of the following groups: African Americans, Asian Americans, indigenous peoples of the United States, Chicanos/Latinos/Latinx, European Americans.
  • Compare historical and contemporary representations of race, ethnicity, culture, and gender within the larger context of American society, history, culture and economy
  • Apply a relational strategy to media representation that operates at once within, between and beyond the nation-state framework

CSLOs

  • Demonstrate an understanding of the theoretical and analytical issues relevant to understanding representations of American cultural groups as represented in the cinematic arts.

  • Demonstrate the ability to critically analyze and compare representations of American cultures in selected films and related media with emphasis on stereotyping, otherness, and marginalization.

  • Identify and analyze the cinematic language (ie: narrative, mise-en-scene, cinematography, editing, sound) that shapes perceptions, assumptions, beliefs, and knowledge concerning American cultural groups and explain how these elements have affected or reflected the treatment of these groups by the larger American society.

  • Demonstrate the ability to analyze film as a technology, business, cultural production/cultural artifact, and art form and their impact on the representation of American cultures.

Outline

  1. Examine the technology, power structure, and labor practices of the Hollywood studio system and the role of independent filmmaking in the American motion picture industry
    1. The evolution of film technology in respect to its effect on the representation of minority groups and their participation in the filmmaking process
      1. In the early "Age of Mechanical Reproduction," the cinematic apparatus and its claims on "truth" and "reality" popularized America's politics of white racial supremacy and the notion of the Other in short films
        1. Depicting the difference of Blacks in "Who Said Chicken" (1902), "The Gator and The Pickaninny" (1903), among others
        2. Depicting the difference of Asians in "In a Chinese Laundry" (1897), "A Raid on a Chinese Opium Joint" (1900), "Chinese

          Massacreing [sic] the Christians" (1900), "Tortured by Boxers" (1900), "Chinamen Returning to China" (1903), among others
        3. Depicting the difference of indigenous peoples in "Sioux Ghost Dance" (1894), "Parade of Buffalo Bill's Wild West" (1898), "Buck Dance" (1898), "Eagle Dance" (1898), among others.
        4. Depicting the difference of Latinos in “The Greaser’s Gauntlet” (1908), “Tony the Greaser” (1911), “Broncho Billy and the Greaser”

          (1914), among others
      2. Transition to sound in 1927 added a new "reality" that reinforced stereotypes and difference through dialogue, dancing, and singing in feature films
      3. VHS/VCR technology created the home video market in the 1980s, resulting in a need for more product than Hollywood could supply; independent features gained theatrical and home video release
        1. Luis Valdez's "Zoot Suit" (1981) won popular and critical acclaim, marking the emergence of Chicano feature filmmaking and reversing the lens in the depiction of historical events and cultural signifiers
        2. Wayne Wang's "Chan Is Missing" (1982) signaled the emergence of Asian American feature filmmaking and offered an open-ended plot to contradict the Charlie Chan mode of always solving the mystery
        3. Spike Lee's "She's Gotta Have It" (1986) began a renaissance of African American filmmaking and countered racial stereotypes
      4. Digital tools offer empowerment, self-expression, and the construction of personal, national, and multicultural identities
    2. Economic/industrial factors affecting the representation of American cultural groups and their participation in filmmaking
      1. Development of a domestic market
      2. Development of the theater system
      3. Emergence and decline of the Motion Picture Patents Company and its attempt to control patents, equipment, and film stock
      4. Establishment of censorship from 1922-1968
      5. Rise and fall of the Hollywood studio system, including the transition to sound, monopoly/oligopoly, Paramount Consent Decree of 1948, and the emergence of television
      6. Rise of independent feature filmmaking
      7. Digital production, distribution, and exhibition in a global marketplace
      8. Hollywood’s commitment to diversity and inclusion following #OscarsTooWhite in 2015
    3. Politics of difference: the institutional dimension of media racism
      1. Racial politics of casting and screenwriting
        1. Role segregation such as black, yellow, red, or brown facing
        2. Role stratification with white protagonists, white guides, or white saviors in Black, Asian American, American Indian, or Latinx-themed productions
      2. Numerical and dimensional role delimitation
        1. Invisibility or underrepresentation
        2. Limited stereotypical roles
  2. Apply media theories, concepts and methodological approaches relevant to understanding the discipline of cinema and the representation of American cultural groups
    1. Analyze media representation through the semiotics of stereotyping that reinforce dominant/majority group and subordinate/minority group relations
      1. Racial: the Other's skin tone and physical features signify difference; the Other as threat to the dominant society's purported racial purity
      2. National: the Other as foreign or new immigrant
      3. Narrative: the Other as antagonist/villain, unseen monster revealed at climax, minor character or "invisible"
      4. Behavioral: the Other acts in childish, simpleminded, despicable, antisocial, sneaky, violent, and/or criminal ways
      5. Psychological: behavior of the Other reveals a warped worldview at odds with "normal" human behavior; maladjusted, unstable, alcoholic, sadistic, sexual, psychopath
      6. Moral: the Other is immoral, knowing but ignoring the difference between right and wrong, or amoral with no dividing line between right and wrong
      7. Ideological: the existence of the anti-establishment Other threatens dominant American ideology
    2. Identify and analyze the film language of media stereotyping that visually and aurally represents difference, fostering prejudice and discrimination
      1. Pre-production elements: screenplay (theme, character, dialogue, plot); casting; set design, and art direction
      2. Production elements: acting conventions, makeup, costuming, lighting, framing, mise-en-scene, camera movement, camera angle, visual effects
      3. Post-production elements: editing, color grading, sound effects and music, visual effects
    3. Stereotyping reception theory
      1. Spectator identification and the gaze
        1. Laura Mulvey's concept of "the male gaze"
        2. Tania Modleski's revised notions of "the female spectator"
        3. bell hooks' concept of "the oppositional gaze"
      2. Audience studies
        1. Government and popular understanding of a "racial" and an "ethnic" group
        2. Social determinants such as one's position within the family, education, employment status, gender
        3. Spectator reception as a phenomenon culturally positioned within class and economic status, varying in time and place
  3. Analyze multiple dimensions of media stereotypes in respect to at least three of the following groups: African Americans, Asian Americans, indigenous peoples of the United States, Chicanos/Latinos/Latinx, European Americans.
    1. Development of stereotypical portrayals of Blacks, including those identified by Donald Bogle: the Tom, Coon, Tragic Mulatto, Mammy, Brutal Black Buck, Jesters, Servants, Entertainers, Black Superstars
    2. Development of stereotypical portrayals of Asian Americans, including those identified by Gina Marchetti, Marilyn C. Alquizola and Lane Ryo Hirabayashi: The "Yellow Peril" Male, Japanese Villain, Exotic/Dangerous Female Seductress or Dragon Lady, Madame Butterfly, War Bride, Geisha/Bar Girl/Prostitute, "Good, Conservative" Asian Woman, Model Minority
    3. Development of stereotypical portrayals of indigenous peoples of the United States, including the Bloodthirsty Savage, Noble Indian, Wise Elder, Indian Princess
    4. Development of stereotypical portrayals of Latinx, including those identified by Charles Ramirez Berg: El Bandito, Harlot, Male Buffoon, Female Clown, Latin Lover, Dark Lady
    5. Development of stereotypical portrayals of European Americans, including the Italian American mobster and racist thug; the garrulous, hard-drinking, belligerent Irish American; the reserved, well-mannered and sarcastic British American; among others
    6. Shared popular narratives such as the white female rape narrative in the Western, white slavery/captivity narrative, racial masquerade, female sacrifice and subjugation myths
    7. Alternate images and cinematic counter-discourses
      1. Media produced by African Americans filmmakers
        1. Oscar Micheaux’s “The Homesteader” (1919), “Within Our Gates” (1920), among others
        2. Melvin Van Peeble’s “Watermelon Man” (1970), “Sweet, Sweetback's Baadasssss Song” (1971); Gordon Parks’ “Shaft” (1971), among others
        3. Spike Lee’s “She’s Gotta Have It” (1986), “Do the Right Thing” (1989), “Bamboozled” (2000) and “BlacKkKlansman” (2018); Charles Burnett’s “To Sleep in Anger” (1990); John Singleton’s “Boyz n the Hood” (1991); Julie Dash’s “Daughters of the Dust” (1991); Carl Franklin’s “Devil in a Blue Dress” (1995); Kasi Lemmons’ “Eve’s Bayou” (1997), among others
        4. Lee Daniels’ “Precious” (2009); Dee Rees’ “Pariah” (2011); Ryan Coogler’s “Fruitvale Station” (2013) and “Black Panther” (2018); Ava duVernay’s “Selma” (2014 ); Barry Jenkins’ “Moonlight” (2016); Jordan Peele’s “Get Out” (2017) and “Candyman” (2021); Kemp Powers’ “Soul” (2020); Shaka King’s “Judas and the Black Messiah” (2021), among others
      2. Media produced by Asian Americans filmmakers
        1. Marian E. Wong’s “The Curse of Quon Gwon” (1916)
        2. Wayne Wang’s “Chan Is Missing” (1982), “Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart” (1985) and “The Joy Luck Club” (1993); Justin Lin’s “Better Luck Tomorrow” (2002); Alice Wu’s “Saving Face” (2004); Arthur Dong’s “Hollywood Chinese” (2007); Jon M. Chu’s “Crazy RichAsians” (2018); Lulu Wang’s “The Farewell” (2019), Lee Isaac Chung’s “Minari” (2020), among others
      3. Media produced by or about indigenous peoples of the United States
        1. Norbert A. Myles’ “The Daughter of Dawn” (1920)
        2. Ian Skorodin’s “Tushka” (1996); Chris Eyre’s “Smoke Signals” (1998) and “Skins” (2002); Blackhorse Lowe’s “Fukry” (2019), among others
      4. Media produced by Latinx filmmakers
        1. Luis Valdez’ “I Am Joaquin” (1969), “Zoot Suit” (1981) and “La Bamba” (1987)
        2. Robert Rodriguez’s “El Mariachi” (1992), “Desperado” (1995) and “Spy Kids” (2001); Patricia Cardoso’s “Real Women Have Curves” (2002); Peter Bratt’s “La Mission” (2009) and “Dolores” (2017); Aurora Guererro’s “Mosquita y Mari” (2012); Adrian Molina’s “Coco” (2017); Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Hamilton” (2020) and “In the Heights” (2021); Charise Castro Smith’s “Encanto” (2021), among others
      5. Media produced by European Americans filmmakers
        1. John Ford's "The Quiet Man (1952); Ron Howard's "Far and Away" (1992), among others
        2. Martin Scorsese’s “Mean Streets” (1973) and “Italianamerican” (1974); Francis Coppola’s “The Godfather” trilogy (1972, 1974, 1990), among others
        3. Elia Kazan's "Gentleman's Agreement" (1947); Joan Micklin Silver's "Hester Street” (1975) and “Crossing Delancey” (1988); Barry Levinson’s “Avalon” (1990), among others
  4. Compare historical and contemporary representations of race, ethnicity, culture, and gender within the larger context of American society, history, culture and economy
    1. Basic concepts such as dominant/majority group, subordinate/minority group, racialization and racialized identities
    2. Politics of difference: significant historical events and the institutional dimension of racism and its role in socially controlling society
    3. Edward Said's theory of "Orientalism" addressing issues of racism and colonialism
    4. Politics of self-designations (i.e.: indigenous peoples of the United States vs. Native Americans vs. American Indians)
  5. Apply a relational strategy to media representation that operates at once within, between and beyond the nation-state framework
    1. Cultural role of media as ISA (Ideological State Apparatuses)
    2. Political role of media as RSA (Repressive State Apparatuses)
    3. Cultural and subculture commodification and incorporation of language, tattoos, American hip-hop, Latinx telenovelas, Korean K-pop, among others
    4. Mediated or reconstructed representations of nation-states
    5. Global circulation of media contributing to the production of transnational identities and cultures
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