Popular Animation In A Global Context

This course offers a deep exploration of the cultural, political and ideological functions of popular animation. It uses popular cultural products, such as Disney animated features, Studio Ghibli films and Nickelodeon broadcast animation, as a lens onto broader societal and historical questions that inform our participation in a globalized society and culture. Students will acquire a grounding in the cultural significance of popular animation as a means of exploring the historical and ideological constitution of society. By treating popular animation as a mode of global cultural communication and contestation, this course will train students to coordinate their enjoyment of these vibrant, compelling and often nostalgic fictional worlds with a critical recognition of the assumptions and ideologies that underlie the creative imaginations behind these works.