UCC/UGC/YCC
Proposal for New Course
1. Effective BEGINNING of what term and year?:
Fall 2012
See effective dates calendar.
Comparative Cultural
3. Academic Unit: Studies
2. College: Arts and Letters
4. Course subject and number:
HUM 268
5. Units: 3
6. Long course title: Social Protest and the Films of the Global 1960s
(max 100 characters including spaces)
7. Short course title: Social Protest Films 1960s
(max. 30 characters including spaces)
8. Catalog course description (max. 60 words, excluding requisites):
This course examines global culture change during the 1960s through film of that era. Issues
related to the Cold War, decolonization, independence movements, and race will be studied in
transnational contexts.
9. Grading option:
Letter grade
Pass/Fail
Both
10a. UGC approval date*:
10. Co-convened with:
(For example: ESE 450 and ESE 550)
*Must be approved by UGC before UCC submission, and both course syllabi must be presented
11. Cross-listed with:
(For example: ES 450 and DIS 450)
Please submit a single cross-listed syllabus that will be used for all cross-listed courses.
12. May course be repeated for additional units?
12a. If yes, maximum units allowed?
12b. If yes, may course be repeated for additional units in the same term?
Yes
No
Yes
No
13. Prerequisites:
Revised 06/22/2011
1
14. Co requisites:
15. Is this course in any plan (major, minor or certificate) or sub plan (emphasis or concentration)?
Yes
No
If yes, describe the impact and attach written responses from the affected academic units prior
to college curricular submission.
Cinema Studies Minor. A plan change is being submitted concurrently.
16. Is there a related plan or sub plan proposal being submitted?
If no, explain.
Yes
No
17. Does this course include combined lecture and lab components?
Yes
If yes, note the units specific to each component in the course description above.
No
18. Does this course duplicate content of existing courses?
Yes
No
If yes, list the courses with duplicate material. If the duplication is greater than 20%,
explain why NAU should establish this course.
19. Names of the current faculty qualified to teach this course:
Devan Bissonette, Jayme
Davis
20. Justification for new course.
HUM268 adds a needed class to the catalog of Cinema Studies minor courses. It also adds a
global dimension to the study of film and history through its focus on the cinema of the
1960s, a critical period for understanding both the medium and world history. HUM268's
curriculum uses a mix of ideas from across the humanities and social sciences, including but
not limited to history, political science, visual culture, cultural studies, transnational studies
to better understand issues related to the globalization of ideas in the 1960s and the
consequences of these ideas to different cultures. As a film course rooted in history and
cultural studies, HUM268 will study how individuals and groups used film to present social
critiques from this era to the public, using examples from both Western and non-Western
nations. As a distance-learning course, HUM268 will also give students another option to meet
their academic needs in the most flexible way possible.
Answer 21-22 for UCC/YCC only:
21. Is this course being proposed for Liberal Studies designation?
Yes
If yes, forward this form along with the appropriate supporting documentation to the
Liberal Studies Committee.
No
22. Is this course being proposed for Diversity designation?
Yes
If yes, forward this form along with the appropriate supporting documentation to the
Diversity Committee
No
Revised 06/22/2011
2
Scott Galland
Reviewed by Curriculum Process Associate
12/12/2011
Date
Approvals:
Department Chair/ Unit Head (if appropriate)
Date
Chair of college curriculum committee
Date
Dean of college
Date
For Committee use only:
UCG/UGC/YCC Approval
Approved as submitted:
Revised 06/22/2011
Date
Yes
No
Approved as modified: Yes
No
3
College of Arts and Letters
Department of Humanities
HUM 268
Credits
Instructor
Office
Office Hours
Prerequisites
Social Protest and the Films of the Global 1960s
Fall 2012
3 hrs
Devan Bissonette
N/A
Virtual
None
Catalog Description:
This course examines global culture change during the 1960s through film of that era. Issues
related to the cold war, decolonization, independence movements and race will be studied in
transnational contexts.
Description:
The decade of the 1960s was one of the most turbulent in recent history. The end of the Second
World War signaled the start of decolonization and ideological shifts in governments across the
globe. Political, social and cultural tensions exploded on the world scene early in the decade,
culminating in the worldwide protests movements during 1968.
While these issues were voiced by global protest movements on the streets, many of their
concerns also found their way into theaters. Countercultural films were produced in the United
States, postcolonial critiques in Africa and Europe, films of the Cultural Revolution in China,
anti-capitalist cinema in the Soviet Union, etc. Choosing from both popular and "indie" films
made during the long 1960s (1956-1975), this course will consider the use of film to forward
protest ideologies related to politics, race, colonialism and culture, paying particular attention to
each film's critique of mass society, those who made them and the global socio-cultural
environment in which each was made.
DIVERSITY JUSTIFICATION:
This course also supports NAU's diversity requirement through its study of cinema across
borders. Surveying films from five continents and a range of peoples from European, Asian,
African and South American cultures, students will engage with a variety cultural modes of
representation and styles of filmic engagement throughout the semester. The course studies the
global spread of protest movements born from issues related to inequality through cinema of the
1960s using a nuanced understanding of each culture's unique socio-historical context. To do so
students will engage with a mix of history and cultural studies as a foundation from which to
consider the diversity of approaches used to address issues related to social injustice within each
culture/region and its effect on the progression of the decade as seen through films of this era.
Revised 06/22/2011
4
---The mission of the Liberal Studies Program (LSP) at Northern Arizona University is to prepare
students to live responsible, productive, and creative lives as citizens of a dramatically changing
world. To accomplish the mission of Liberal Studies, Northern Arizona University provides a
program that challenges students to gain a deeper understanding of the natural environment and
the world’s peoples, to explore the traditions and legacies that have created the dynamics and
tensions that shape the world, to examine their potential contributions to society, and thus to
better determine their own places in that world. Through the program students acquire a broad
range of knowledge and develop essential skills for professional success and life beyond
graduation. This class supports the mission of the LSP through a transnational study of social
movements of the 1960s as they protested issues of race, gender, colonialism and other
ideological concerns through film. Studying each of these concepts in their appropriate cultural
context, the course considers the effectiveness of film as a medium of global social protest.
This course fits within Cultural Understanding Distribution Block due to its study of western
and non-western peoples and the contexts in which they communicated ideas through a common
medium. Using an interdisciplinary framework, the course embraces the diversity of views on
the Global 1960s to better understand how different cultural traditions shaped the protests of this
tumultuous period in world history.
Liberal Studies Essential Skills
This course emphasizes a number of essential skills to help students no matter their major
interests. Critical thinking is encouraged through our weekly discussions, source analyses and
written work. Effective writing is also emphasized through detailed feedback and assignments
that encourage students to push the limits of traditional thinking in arguing complex points.
Student Learning Outcomes
With any humanities-centered curriculum, the first goal of the class is to hone your criticalthinking skills, especially as it relates to human activities and behavior that have shape, are
shaping, and will shape the world in which we life. To this end, one hope of the course is that
you will learn to look at familiar subjects in different ways to see them in a new light and take
new meaning from them. To this end, by the conclusion of the term you will be able to:
-Explain the impact of the global 1960s on world cultures.
-Identify cross-cultural themes and concerns that shaped the global 1960s.
-Through close readings, to identify ideological messages in film.
-Discuss the role of film in producing and challenging cultural norms.
-Recognize the influence of postcolonial ideas on the modern world.
Required Texts:
Geoffery Nowell-Smith, Making Waves: New Cinema of the 1960s (New York:
Continuum:2007)
Jeremi Suri, Power and Protest, Global Revolution and the Rise of Detente (Cambridge,
MA: Harvard University Press, 2005)
Revised 06/22/2011
5
Alternative Texts:
Peter Cowie, Revolution! The Explosion of World Cinema in the 1960s (New York: Faber
& Faber, 2005)
Dina Iordanova, Cinema of the Other Europe (New York: Wallflower Press, 2003)
Aniko Imre, ed. Eastern European Cinemas (New York: Routledge, 2005)
Vladimir Shlapentokh and Dmitry Shlapentokh, Soviet Cinematography, 1918-1991:
Ideological Conflict and Social Reality (New York: Aldine, 1993)
David Gillespie, Russian Cinema (New York: Longman, 2002)
Ming-may Jessie Chen, Mazharul Haque and Phillip Gentile, Representation of
the Cultural Revolution in Chinese Films by the Fifth Generation Filmmakers: Zhang
Yimou, Chen ige, and Tian Zhuangzhuang (London: Edwin Mellen, 2007): 31-60,
61-86.
Barry Keith Grant, ed. American Cinema of the 1960s: Themes and Variations (New
Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2008)
Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes (Assignment Descriptions)
Assignments
Discussion Prompt Replies
Participation
Source Explorations (3
total)
Totals
Points
100 points
120 points
60 points each, 180 total
400 points
Percent of Total Score
25%
30%
45%
100%
a. Discussions and Participation:
-Discussion Prompt Replies (25%): Each week we will have one or two discussions
about the week’s materials. They will be split up into a General and Specific Topic
Board. Each board has a question for you answer. You are required to respond to both
the General and Specific Topic Board questions posted this week. Your response to
each topic question should be at least 200 words and cite the textbook/supplementary
readings at least once. While I do not expect full citations, make sure you note the
source of any outside evidence (by referencing a page number or website). Above all,
make sure you answer all parts of the question. I am looking to see 1) a reflection in
the post that you’ve done and understand the readings and 2) that you can apply that
knowledge to a specific issue related to the course. The response to the General Topic
Board should be posted no later than 11:59PM, Local Time of Day 3. The response to
the Specific Topic Board should be posted no later than 11:59PM, Local Time of Day
5. Once the week is over, no credit will be given for late posts. Quote and cite any
sources, as any evidence of plagiarism will result in a 0.
Revised 06/22/2011
6
-Participation (30%): Besides your posts to the Topic board or boards you are
required to make at least four replies to the posts of your classmates made to the
General and Specific Topic Board each week. You must make at least one comment
to each the General Topic Board and Specific Topic Board. Two replies should be at
least 150 words. Your comments should also be spread out over at least two days
during this week to earn full credit. Responses might entail you agreeing with a peer
and adding more detail to that post, adding a question related to their comment, using
the comment to move discussion in a new direction based on the ideas presented by
your peer, and so on. These are merely guidelines—grades will be based on quality of
substantive comments and shorter reactions (see the rubric here). The more you offer,
the easier it will be to earn full credit each week. While I do not expect full citations,
make sure you note the source of any outside evidence (by referencing a page number
or website). Any evidence of plagiarism will result in a 0 for the week. All posts must
be made by 11:59PM, Local Time of Day 7. Once the week is over, no credit will be
given for late posts.
b. Papers, Projects and Presentations:
-Source Explorations (15% each): These assignments (800+ words) will address
questions related to your reading and discussion board posts. You also have the
option, in consultation with me, of choosing your own topic. Each paper should
investigate the question posed, using course materials and outside evidence to argue
their point. In short, it is an evidence-based reaction to the question, meaning they
will involve some outside research and should be cited properly. Students are
required to hand in two source explorations during the semester. These papers will
give me a chance to critique your writing and enhance your critical thinking skills,
especially as they relate to the popular arts. Papers should be uploaded through the
course website. Any instance of plagiarism will result in a 0 for the assignment. See
the rubric here for grading details.
c. Exams and Quizzes:
-None.
Grade Scale
A
B
C
D
F
90%+
80-89%
70-79%
60-69%
59-----
360-400
320-359
280-319
240-279
239-----
Contact Information:
You can reach me by phone 585-209-0444 or over email at devan.bissonette@nau.edu
Grading rubric for all written work (including discussion prompts)
Paper
Total
Key Components of Grading Criteria Include
Revised 06/22/2011
Points
7
Grading
Breakdown
Content and
Evidence
Points/
Percent
50%
Points
Critical
Thinking
20%
Points
Grammar,
Organization,
Coherency
and Editing
Formatting
and Citing
20%
Points
10%
Points
Total
100%
(bold phrases indicate unmet expectations):
> Adherence of paper to assignment goals
> Integration of course materials/concepts into assignment
> Good mix of evidence (less than 33%) and original
analysis
> Evidence/explanations sufficient to address assignment
goals
> Quality and credibility of sources (varies by assignment)
> Capability of evidence/sources to support thesis
statement
> Quality and originality of paper argument (varies)
> Effectiveness of topic sentences to start each paragraph
> Logical progression of paper's argument
> Effectiveness of the paper’s style in communicating key
points
> Innovative use of evidence to support key arguments
> Persuasiveness of overall argument
> Presence of introduction, body paragraphs, and
conclusion
> Clarity of thesis
> Writer’s knowledge and understanding of course
concepts
> Ability of the paper to convey writer’s thoughts to the
reader
> Consistent tenses, proper punctuation and paragraph
formatting
> Conceptual clarity (including definitions) of key
concepts
> Quality of grammar, writing and word choice
> Use of proper citation format and rules
> Presence of accurate in-paper citations and quotations
> Properly italicized or quoted titles (depending on source
type)
> Paper formatted according to relevant guidelines
> Proper organization/formatting of the References/Works
Cited
> Adherence of paper to required length/word count
> Usage of required number of (relevant) citations/sources
Overall Comments:
Earned
0
Points
Revised 06/22/2011
8
Assignments
Week 1 -Introductions
Reading: Nowell-Smith, Ch. 2, Suri, Ch. 1
Weeks 2-3, American Film in the 1960s
Week 2: Stanley Kramer, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (Netflix Instant)
Reading: Nowell-Smith, Ch. 3
Alternatives: Gordon Parks, The Learning Tree; Ivan Dixon, The Spook Who Sat By The Door;
Robert Mulligan, To Kill a Mockingbird
Week 3-Sam Pekinpah-The Wild Bunch (Amazon Instant)
Reading: Nowell-Smith, Ch. 4
Alternatives: Roger Corman, The Wild Angels; John Schlesinger, Midnight Cowboy; Arthur
Penn, Bonnie and Clyde
Weeks 4-5, Western European Film in the 1960s
Week 4-Gillo Pontecorvo, The Battle of Algiers (Netflix Instant)
Reading: Nowell-Smith, Chs. 6, 11, Suri, Ch. 2
Alternatives: Gillo Pontecorvo, Burn!; Jean-Luc Godard, Le Petit Soldat; Barbet Schroeder,
More; Federico Fellini, La Dolce Vita, Federico Fellini, 8 1/2
*First Paper Due
Week 5-Jean-Luc Goddard, Alphaville (Netflix Instant)
Reading: Nowell-Smith, Ch. 15
Alternatives: Francois Truffant, The 400 Blows (Openculture.com), Jean-Luc Goddard,
Breathless (Openculture.com); Rene Vienet, Can Dialectics Break Bricks? (Online)
Weeks 6-7 Northern and Central European Film in the 1960s
Week 6-Ingmar Berman, Persona (Netflix Instant)
Reading: Nowell-Smith, Ch. 8
Alternatives: Viljot Sjoman, I Am Curious (Yellow); Ingmar Berman, Through A Glass Darkly
Week 7-Miklos Janco, The Red and the White (Netflix Instant)
Reading: Nowell-Smith, Ch. 9, Suri, Ch. 3
Alternatives: Roman Polanski, Knife in the Water; Milos Forman, Fireman's Ball, Milos Forman,
Black Peter, Alekander Petrovic, It Rains in my Village (Netflix Instant), Jan Svankmajor,
The Ossuary and Other Tales; Wladyslaw Slesicki, Gypsies
Weeks 8-9 Soviet Film in the 1960s
Week 8- Sergei Parajanov, The Shadows of Pomegranates (Netflix Instant, archive.org)
Reading: Nowell-Smith, Ch. 13
Revised 06/22/2011
9
Alternatives: Mikhail Kalatozov, The Cranes are Flying
Week 9- Andrei Tarkovsky, Ivan's Childhood (Openculture.com)
Alternatives: Andrei Tarkovsky, Solaris (Openculture.com, Andrei Tarkovsky, The Mirror
(Amazon Instant, Openculture.com);
Weeks 10-11 Southeast Asia on Film
Week 10-Xie Jin, The Red Detachment of Women
Reading: Suri, Ch. 4
Alternatives:
*Second Paper Due
Week 11-Akira Kurasowa, Yojimbo
Reading: Nowell-Smith, Ch. 7
Alternatives: Yasujiro Ozu, An Autumn Afternoon; Mikio Naurse, When A Woman Ascends the
Stairs; Hiroshi Teshigahara, Woman in the Dunes
Weeks 12-13 Africa in the 1960s
Week 12-Ousmane Sembene, Black Girl (Netflix Instant)
Reading: Franz Fanon, "Reciprocal Bases of National Culture and the Fight for Freedom"
Alternatives: Jean-Luc Godard, Le Petit Soldat, Ousmane Sembene, Mandabi (Netflix Instant)
Week 13- Djibril Diop Mambety, Touki Bouki
Reading: Suri, Ch. 5
Alternatives:
Weeks 14-15 Latin and South American in the 1960s
Week 14-Glauber Rocha-Antonio das Mortes
Reading: Nowell-Smith, Ch. 14
Alternatives: Glauber Rocha-Black God White Devil, Nelson Pereira dos Santos, How Tasty
Was My Little Frenchmen (Netflix Instant), Margot Benacerraf, Araya (Netflix Instant)
*Third Paper Due
Week 15- Margot Benacerraf, Araya (Netflix Instant)
Reading: Suri, Ch. 6, Conclusion
Alternatives: Arturo Ripstein, El Castillo de la Puerza, Luis Brunel, The Exterminating Angel,
Alejandro Jodorowsky, The Holy Mountain
Revised 06/22/2011
10