Los
Angeles, California
Craig Rimmerman, Political Science; Elizabeth Lyon, English (Spring '02)
Los Angeles, chosen as the location because it reflects immense contrasts -- arid deserts and lush landscaping, open lifestyles and closely guarded homes -- set amidst one of the most varied topographies and the greatest ethnic diversity in the U.S. This cultural mix serves as the foundation for the study of three key L.A. phenomena: the film industry, architecture, and the world of art museums and galleries. The purposes of the program are: to introduce students to the distinctive culture of Los Angeles and Southern California to study L.A. in its images of itself and as maker of images and myths, and to explore the twin phenomena of the world's foremost movie industry and the recent meteoric rise of L.A. and Southern California as an art/photographic center.
APPROXIMATE
PROGRAM DATES
January 10 to April 26, 2002
ACCOMMODATIONS
Students will be housed in furnished two bedroom apartments in Toluca
Hills. The apartments are centrally located near sources of public transportation
and access to downtown, UCLA, Venice (beach), Santa Monica (west-end
cultural center), and, of course, many film and TV studios. Students
have the opportunity to prepare their own meals in the apartments or
enjoy one of the many restaurants from the area.
EXCURSIONS
Field trips and excursions will be an important part
of the courses offered on the program. We will visit various museums,
film studios, and cultural sites.
ELIGIBILITY
There are no prerequisites for the program, but students should have
a solid grade point average of 2.5 or above and submit a strong personal
statement that outlines clearly why participation in the program would
help to fulfill academic and personal goals.
APPROXIMATE
COSTS
Students will be charged a basic program fee that will be equivalent
to the normal on-campus tuition, $500 administrative fee, and room charge
of approximately $15,182. This will cover all course related costs including
field trips, guest lecturers, and instruction. The cost of apartment
rental is included, but students will be responsible for their own meals,
transportation to and from Los Angeles, books, and personal items. We
estimate these costs at $2,350, but they may vary according to individual
tastes and needs.
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
Bidis: City of LA: Urban Policy & Image Industries (Rimmerman/Lyon) This course will examine the complex urban and cultural environment of Los Angeles from two analytical perspectives. Focusing on the intersection between public policy and the image industry, we will look at the relations between the center and the margins of institutional power in urban politics and in the film and television industry through a series of weekly on-site visits, guest speakers and examinations of film, video and print media.
English: Film, Video & Ideology (Lyon) This course will look at a variety of film and video documents dealing with the history and culture of Los Angeles. We will examine the different ways in which mainstream studio fiction, so-called independent fiction and non-fiction film and independent activist media documentaries treat political and historical subjects such as land use, police corruption, sexual minorities, immigration, race and ethnicity, class warfare, urban rebellions, the media, and political organizing.
Political Science/Urban Studies: The Urban Crisis and Public Policy (Rimmerman) To what extent is the United States enduring an "urban crisis" at this time? What are the empirical criteria for an "urban crisis?" This course will answer these questions by placing the discussion in its appropriate historical and policy context. In doing so, the course will examine contemporary public policy issues relevant to urban America, with specific attention to Los Angeles, California. We will examine the following public policy concerns: poverty and welfare, criminal justice, AIDS and health care, environmental, housing, immigration, and transportation policies. In addition, the course will ask students to consider class and multicultural issues as related to Los Angeles and other American urban areas. The extent to which these class and multicultural concerns intersect with public policy is also a central course theme.
Internship Students will have the opportunity to be placed in an internship with a local business or agency. On the previous programs students did internships with film studios, art galleries, print media, and architectural firms.