124071 VO Culture, Society and the Media (2014W)

This lecture course offers an overview of different historically evolved cultural forms which have more recently been complemented by non-Western artistic expressions, ranging from oral tales, dramatic performances, songs, literature and film. We will contextualise the attempt to define the meanings of “culture” and discuss its significance for the definition of collective identities. Special attention will be devoted to adventure as a genre and narrative paradigm for the portrayal of unfamiliar experiences, exotic landscapes and encounters with cultural difference. We will be concentrating on the representation of hierarchies and ask ourselves to what extent literature and culture confirm and/or subvert dominant beliefs. The arguments will be illustrated with a wealth of examples from literature, film and other art forms.