SOC 450 Race Relations in Feature Film
This course is intended for a broad range of students - no prior background in films, social science, etc. is required. The course will assess movies that treat Native Americans, slavery, the Civil War, Reconstruction, the "Nadir of American Race Relations" (1890-1920), the Civil Rights Movement and the reaction against it, and three other racial and/or ethnic groups: Jewish Americans, Latinos, and Asian Americans. Readings will provide background for these assessments. Recent trends, including race relations in science fiction films and the impact made by directors from African, Asian, and Native American backgrounds will be discussed.