78043 - Sociology of Cinema (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

The course aims at providing the fundamentals of the discipline of sociology and the tools that sociology has developed to analyze cultural objects and practices and to explain their genesis and social impact. At the end of the course, students: - know concepts, models, theories, and research methods related to the production and reception of culture, as well as to the sociological analysis of cultural texts, with specific attention to cinema; - are able to apply these conceptual and theoretical tools to the understanding of the mechanisms of production, distribution, evaluation, and consumption of film texts and genres; - are able to carry out empirical research on the world of cinema in its various components.

Course contents

This year's course is devoted to the history of the sociology of cinema in its relations with the history (and historiography) of cinema. Cinema and sociology are almost contemporary, and the development of sociological reflection and research on cinema flows in parallel with the development of the institution of cinema, the growth and differentiation of its audience, the transformation of the status of cinema (technological innovation, commercial entertainment, art form, etc.), and is intertwined with the establishment of the first academic courses on cinema and the emergence of Film studies and the “new history of cinema.” From the earliest sociological reflections and analyses on film (strongly marked by the presence of female scholars) to contemporary sociological studies on film (heavily indebted to the conceptual and analytical contributions of Howard Becker, Pierre Bourdieu, and Bruno Latour), the course traces the main stages in the history of sociological thought and research on film, emphasizing its relevance and potential for those studying film today. Indeed, sociology is both a disciplinary perspective for the analysis of films and their world, and a source for the history (economic, political, social, cultural) of cinema.

Students with SLD or temporary or permanent disabilities. It is suggested that they get in touch as soon as possible with the relevant University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en) and with the lecturer in order to seek together the most effective strategies for following the lessons and/or preparing for the examination.

Readings/Bibliography

1. Materiali per una storia della sociologia del cinema (reader of original texts)
2. E. Altenloh, Verso una sociologia del cinema. Industria e pubblico, a cura di M. Santoro e B. Grüning, Milano, Mimesis 2018.
3. Course slides 

 

Teaching methods

Traditional, with teacher in class and video and slides support.

Assessment methods

Oral exam: generally three questions on topics covered in the course, in which the student must demonstrate that he or she has learned the basics of sociological reasoning and can apply sociological concepts and models to examples from film history.

Students with SLD or temporary or permanent disabilities. It is necessary to contact the relevant University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en) with ample time in advance: the office will propose some adjustments, which must in any case be submitted 15 days in advance to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of these in relation to the teaching objectives.

Teaching tools

Slides and syllabus plus research materials

Office hours

See the website of Marco Santoro