Censrshp, Bk Ban, Storytelling

Catalog description

Content warnings have become a common label for both "challenging" and challenged material in movies, television, books, and on social media and in academic settings, but they are not without debate. As usage has evolved and multiplied in frequency in our terminally online world, "trigger warning" is a label that is being applied more broadly, thus becoming subjective and individual rather than objective and universal, thus the question becomes: are they useful and productive in protecting audiences from truly harmful content, or are they creating isolation chambers and contributing to the "outrage machine"? Are content warnings a threat to storytelling? In this seminar, students will explore the effectiveness of content warnings, investigating how they impact broader societal conversations about inclusivity and diversity, and examining the difference between popular opinion and personal biases. Through media literacy, students will debate why and how they matter through thoughtful discussions of context while also researching media censorship and book bans. Students will also examine ethical storytelling practices: How can we, as a society, protect the art of storytelling, which is essential to the human experience and condition, while under scrutiny of looming censorship practices? Students will discuss concepts of universality and how to avoid trafficking in stereotypes and respecting the experiences of people with identities different from our own. How do intentions and outcomes factor into storytelling ethics? Students should expect to challenge their own assumptions and rethink the boundaries of ethical storytelling. As part of this practice, students will watch censored or challenged movies and TV shows and read banned books, focusing on analysis and discussion of such issues as public access, sexual content vs. sexual and gender identity vs. pornography, violence, blasphemy, privacy, advertising, cancel culture vs. consequence culture, and how content warnings play a role in categorizing and censoring different forms media. Students will also work in small groups to create content (audio, video, visual, creative writing) about censored or banned media. Students will also actively practice the art of "touching grass" each week.