A cartoon drawing of Professor Thorburn teaching 21L.432. (Image courtesy of Lilly Kam.)
Instructor(s)
Prof. David Thorburn
MIT Course Number
21L.432
As Taught In
Spring 2003
Level
Undergraduate
Translated Versions
Course Description
Course Features
Course Highlights
This course features exemplary video. The viewing list of representative programs distills a mini-history of prime time TV.
Course Description
The subtitle of this course for the spring 2003 term is "American Television: A Cultural History." The class takes a cultural approach to television's evolution as a technology and system of representation, considering television as a system of storytelling and myth-making, and as a cultural practice, studied from anthropological, literary, and cinematic perspectives. The course focuses on prime-time commercial broadcasting, the medium's technological and economic history, and theoretical perspectives. There is much required viewing as well as readings in media theory and cultural interpretation.