Rebecca Byers
The Corsair
Movies are a great pastime to go see, but imagine getting to watch movies and review them in the classroom. Stacey Albaugh, instructor in the English and Communication department will teach the new film course, Special Topics in Communication, diversity in film, offered in the fall semester.
The course examines the relationship between film and the understanding of cultural diversity. The course will explore many diverse themes with the analysis of films, active group discussions, reflective writing, and group presentations.
The course will also explore Hollywood’s portrayal of how cultural and social differences have influenced our understanding and opinion.
“This course is a special designed course and it incorporates movies the class will look at and examine them for what they say about diverse people in our society,” Thom Botsford, English department head, said.
The brand new course also relates movies to diverse populations and shows how movies will sometimes stereotype people; as a result it has an effect on the way those people look at themselves as well as society looks at them.
“The Special Topics and Communications course will cover categories of movies such as culture and religion, ethnicity/ race, class, gender, sexual orientation and body size/ ability/age,” Albaugh said.
One movie that will be discussed in the class category is “The Grapes of Wrath,” written by John Steinbeck. It is a story about Tom Joad and his family being forced from their farm during the depression and they set out to California along with thousands of others.
One movie in the gender category is “Mona Lisa smiles,” a story about a free thinking professor who teaches 1950s women to question their roles in society.
The Special Topics in Communications, diversity in film course is offered in two sections. One section will be taught at 1:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays on the Milton Campus. The second section will be taught at 1:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays on the Pensacola Campus.
For more information about the Special Topics in Communications course, contact Albaugh at salbaugh@pensacolastate.edu or contact Botsford at the English department phone at (850)-484-1400 or at tbotsford@pensacolastate.edu.