USSO 286M - Hip-Hop Narrative in Film

Institution:

Case Western Reserve University

Subject:

Description:

This seminar explores films of the Hip-Hop Generation and, by presenting certain films in chronological order, draws out the common threads. Hip-Hop culture is a conversation, an argument between the have-nots and the rest of us. The goals and objectives of that conversation have evolved and changed in timbre and urgency. Tracking that dialog through the late 60s, the post-civil rights era, the emergence of the b-boy, Reaganomics, and the rise of the new Black middle class helps us to get a better look at where it is and where it's going. By isolating the stories told by filmmakers within a certain period and then analyzing their place in the larger Hip-Hop narrative, the instructor and the students can infer truths about the politics and zeitgeist of the times in which the film works were conceived. This course will consist of lots of film, yes, but also lots of reading and writing. Upon successful completion, the student should be able to recognize and define the Hip-Hop narrative in popular cinema, focus critical thinking skills, pull the narrative from certain films and discuss it, note and discuss the visual aesthetic and how it impacts the story, and discuss the marketing, packaging, and cultural impact of the Hip-Hop narrative. Prereq: Passing letter grade in a 100 level first year seminar in USFS, FSSO, FSCC, FSNA, FSSY or FSCS. Prereq or Coreq: FSTS 100.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.case.edu

Phone Number:

(216) 368-2000

Regional Accreditation:

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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