CENS 201 Contrasts and Conflicts: Representing European Crises – from the Holocaust to COVID-19

Tue/Thu: 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM

In this course we will engage with a selection of media texts on European crisis periods during and after WWII to discuss media studies and cultural studies theories of representation. Although each unit will focus on one specific media type and introduce students to the essential theory of that medium, each topic will be approached through a combination of media texts (i.e., comics, film and television, photography, digital and news games, and internet culture). Students will thereby strengthen their critical thinking and visual analysis skills, while developing their media literacy through their engagement with fundamental media studies theory. Texts will be supplemented by historical, political, and cultural context presented via mini-lectures recorded and posted on our class’s Canvas site to facilitate class discussion and assignments.

Coursework will include weekly readings, online/face-to-face class participation, and weekly assignments. Students will respond to the readings through class discussion, in-class writing, and one Reader Response Essay per unit on the Class Blog. Additional assignments will include the production of weekly media texts (webcomics, podcasts, vlogs, TikToks, YouTube videos, GIFs, Memes, etc.) engaging our current crisis period (the COVID-19 global pandemic), a final project, and a reflective essay. No artistic skills are required, but creativity will be encouraged.

Units will likely include the following historic and contemporary crisis periods:

Holocaust & Comics

Chernobyl Disaster & Film/Television

“Refugee Crisis” & Photography/Photojournalism

COVID-19 & Internet Culture