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Fall 2010
English 98 / 198
2 Unit(s)

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About the Course:

Mad Men is a thematically, symbolically, and historically rich television series. This course will serve as an introduction to the show and its themes while providing students with a forum and vocabulary for analyzing popular culture. Through the course of the class, we will be covering, among other subjects, the contemporary culture and politics of the early 1960s, the role of women, class and society, the family unit, youth and counterculture, race, and sexuality. By the end of this course, students will have a working knowledge of the wider context of Mad Men and the issues within it. Furthermore, students will be able to apply the methods of analysis used in this class to other television series and films. Ultimately, students will become close readers of Mad Men and gain a deeper understanding of the complexities of great popular culture.

This course will meet once a week for two hours. Each class meeting will include lecture and class discussion. Students must come to class prepared by completing any readings and watching the episode assigned for that week. Grading is based on attendance, participation (including completion of readings and episode viewings), a 3-5 minute presentation, and a brief final paper. Because this course is heavily based on student engagement, anyone exceeding three absences will receive a No Pass.

For more information on grading/policies and a precise list of topics we will cover, please see the syllabus.

Although students who have never seen the show are welcome to apply, those who have seen most or all of the series would benefit most from this course. We highly recommend that you have seen a majority of the show before taking the Mad Men DeCal.

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about the course or just want to talk about Mad Men!

How to Enroll:

We will accept no more than 30 students. You MUST attend the first class session on September 14 to be eligible to enroll. Admission will be based on a brief application, which will be distributed and turned in on the first day of class. (No, we will not give it out beforehand.) We will email accepted students the CCN well before the following class session on September 21.