Media Arts and Culture

Why have people in so many times and places enjoyed spooky stories? What, if any, value can we assign to tales of horror and the supernatural? Do ghost stories and monster movies differ across nations and cultures? Questions like these will guide our global study of gothic, horror and supernatural texts chosen from a wide array of media, from literature and cinema, to television, comic books, and video games. Topics may include visual culture and the sublime, Freud's notion of “the uncanny,” Jungian archetypes, gender identity, conceptions of ritual and myth, the modern and the postmodern, subcultures, folklore, religion and secularization. Open to students who have completed 45 credit hours, or with permission of the instructor. Students who have already completed MM 3065 for credit may not enrol in MAAC 3065. Students who have taken WLCS 3065 may not attain credit for MAAC 3065.