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Wall Street Journal article about zombies in academia:

http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2014/03/04/feed-your-brain-with-brains-six-real-zombie-college-classes/

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HUM 240

Note: Dates and assignments may be subject to change.
Please bring assigned text(s) to class.
Readings should be completed before the dates indicated below.

Pursuant to the character of the genre, some of the course material is graphic in nature.

WEEK 1:
(W) 9/7
Introduction

WEEK 2:
(W) 9/14
Zombiemania: Media, Popular Culture and Zombies
Read - American Zombie Gothic – “Introduction: The Zombie Film and its Cycles (9-36)
Generation Zombie: “Introduction: Generation Z, The Age of Apocalypse” (1-17)

WEEK 3:
(W) 9/21
The Voodoo Zombie

View - White Zombie (1932)
Read: American Zombie Gothic: “Raising the Living Dead: The Folkloric and
Ideological Origins of the Voodoo Zombie” (37-63), “The Return of the
Native: Imperialist Hegemony and the Cinematic Voodoo Zombie” (64-81)

WEEK 4:
(W) 9/28
The Zombie as Social Commentary

Read - Generation Zombie: “Zombies as Internal Fear or Threat” (18-26)
I Am Legend (1954) – Richard Matheson

Journal #1: White Zombie

WEEK 5:
(W) 10/5
George Romero I

View - Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Read - American Zombie Gothic: “The Rise of the New Paradigm: Night of the
Living Dead and the Zombie Invasion Narrative” (94-128)
Generation Zombie: “Lost Bodies/Lost Souls: Night of the Living Dead . . . as
Vietnam Narrative” (67-76)

WEEK 6:
(W) 10/12
George Romero II

View - Dawn of the Dead (1978)
Read - American Zombie Gothic: “The Dead Walk the Earth: The Triumph of
the Zombie Social Metaphor in Dawn of the Dead” (129-157)
Journal #2: Night of the Living Dead

WEEK 7:
(W) 10/19
George Romero III

View - Day of the Dead (1985)
Read - American Zombie Gothic: “Humanizing the Zombie Via Cinematic Suture“
(166-174), “The Pathetic Dead of Day of The Dead” (174-180)
Generation Zombie – “Shambling Towards Mount Improbable to be Born: American
Evolutionary Anxiety and The Hopeful Monsters of Matheson’s I Am Legend and
Romero’s Dead Films” (77-89)
Journal #3: Dawn of the Dead

WEEK 8:
(W) 10/26
The Romero Zombie Legacy
Read - Generation Zombie: “Ztopia: Lessons in Post-Vital Politics in George
Romero’s Zombie Films” (90-94),”The National Strategy for Zombie Containment :
Myth Meets Activism in Post 9/11 America” (231-247)
Journal #4: Day of the Dead

WEEK 9:
(W) 11/2
The Zombie in Other Media: Pop Music, Video Gaming, and Internet

View - “Thriller” (1983)
Read - Generation Zombie “The E-Dead: Zombies in the Digital Age” (194-205)
Journal #5: Romero’s Zombie Legacy

WEEK 10:
(W) 11/9
The Zombie Re-imagined

View - 28 Days Later (2002)
Read - Generation Zombie: “Zombies in a ‘Deep, Dark Ocean of History’:
Danny Boyle’s Infected . . . as Metaphors of Postwar Britain” (165-181)
Journal #6: The Zombie in Other Media

WEEK 11:
(W) 11/16
Laughing at the Zombie

View -Shaun of The Dead (2004)
Read - American Zombie Gothic: Section on Shaun of the Dead (189-190)
Generation Zombie: “Mass Psychology and the Analysis of the Zombie:
From Suggestion to Contagion” (113-129)
Journal #7: 28 Days Later

WEEK 12:
(W) 11/23
Thanksgiving Recess – No Classes

WEEK 13:
(W) 11/30
Zombie as”Ism”

View - American Zombie (2007)
Read - Generation Zombie: “Gray is the New Black: Race, Class, and Zombies”
(130)
Journal #8: Shaun of the Dead

WEEK 14:
(W) 12/7
Zombies on The New York Times Best Sellers Fiction List

Skim - The Zombie Survival Guide (2003)

Read: World War Z (2007)
Journal #9: American Zombie

WEEK 15:
(W) 12/14
The Merging of Zombie Graphic Novel and Television

Read - The Walking Dead (Vol. 1 2006)

View - The Walking Dead TV Premier Episode (2010)

Journal #10: The Zombie Survival Guide and World War Z

FINAL EXAM &

Journal #11: The Walking Dead:

Wednesday, 12/21/16

Final Course Project:

Due On or BEFORE Wednesday, 12/21/16

(early submissions encouraged)

SYLLABUS

HUM 240

GCC: Fall 2016

Special Topics in Humanities: The Zombie in Media and Popular Culture
Time: Wed 5-7:50PM

INSTRUCTOR: LILLIAN RUIZ
Phone: 775-1236

Office: N315
Office Hours: M/W 12-1, T/Th 9-10, or by appointment

Mailbox: Humanities Office
E-mail: ruiz@gcc.mass.edu

Course Blog: hum240.blogspot.com

TEXTS:

The Zombie Survival Guide - Brooks

World War Z – Brooks

The Walking Dead (v.1 ) – Kirkman

Generation Zombie – Essays on the Living Dead in Modern Culture –
Boluk & Lenz

American Zombie Gothic – Bishop

I Am Legend - Matheson

Note: It is assumed that students will have a good dictionary and
thesaurus for reference.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

From the course catalog: A critical and analytical study of the representation of
the zombie in various forms of mass media, including film, television, print,
music, and video games. Students examine the use of the zombie
figure as a vehicle to express the social and cultural anxieties of the times.

Prereq: ENG 101, 103, or 105

Recommended: HUM 153

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

As a result of successfully completing this course, students will be able to

1.     Summarize the history of the use of the zombie in various mass media

2.     Recognize and articulate symbolic and metaphoric meanings of the zombie
in various mass media

3.     Identify and analyze the cultural significance of the zombie in our society

4.     Gather and appraise examples of the zombie in various mass media

5.     Explain in oral and written form the uses and meanings of the zombie in various
mass media

6.     Understand and draw connections between the zombie and oneself, others, and
society at large

7.     Evaluate and interpret data on the use and popularity of the zombie in various mass media

8.     Examine social issues such as race, class, and gender in the representation of the
zombie in various mass media

PROCEDURES:

Procedures include class discussion, group work, mini-lectures and reading/writing
assignments that emphasize critical thinking and critical analysis.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Students are expected to complete all reading and writing assignments by the due date.
Students will submit periodic journal entries discussing their reactions to the various
media (see JOURNAL). A final exam will also be given.

INSTITUTIONAL SERVICES DISABILITY STATEMENT:

To support access and inclusion, Greenfield Community College offers reasonable
accommodations to students who have documented disabilities (e.g. physical,
learning, psychiatric, sensory, etc.). If you require accommodations for this
class, please provide me with a copy of your Accommodation Agreement as
soon as possible so that we can discuss your specific needs. Any information
that you share with me will be held in the strictest confidence, unless you
give me written permission to do otherwise. If you require academic
accommodations but do not have an Accommodation Agreement,
please contact Disability Services as soon as possible to establish
your eligibility for services. For more information, or to schedule
an appointment, please call 413-775-1332. Disability Services is located
in the Wellness Center on the fourth floor of the Core in C423.

RESPONSE JOURNAL:

The journals are meant as an opportunity for students to analyze media. Guidelines
will be very informal, as each student should use the journals as an opportunity
to explore the media in the way he or she feels would be most beneficial. Some
suggestions will be given in class, but on the whole the journals should reflect
whatever relevant thoughts, questions, etc. the individual student has about a
particular form of media. The journals will also provide an excellent opportunity
to brainstorm and freewrite project topics and final examination questions.
Journals should be typed or handwritten in blue or black ink on loose paper
(NOT in a notebook) and numbered. They will be collected on a regular basis
and graded. Journals will be graded excellent ( ), good ( ), satisfactory ( ),
less than satisfactory ( ), or unsatisfactory ( ). Late journals will lower your
grade by one full grade and no late journal will be accepted after one week has
elapsed unless you have made other arrangements with me beforehand. Please
use a staple if your journal is over 1 page long.

ATTENDANCE:

Class activity and discussion is extremely important and cannot be made up. Thus,
absences and tardiness will be negatively reflected in your participation grade (while
each case is different, anything more than 1 absence could lower your grade). In
the event that you absolutely must be absent, you are required to obtain that
day’s notes and assignments from another student. Excessive absences could
result in failure. You do not need to notify me that you are going to be absent
for a particular class. However, do speak with me if you miss several classes.

CONSULTATIONS:

Students may meet with me by appointment.

COURSE PROJECT:

The final course project is a written analysis of a representation of zombie in a
particular mass medium, although there is room for more creative approaches
(guidelines will be discussed in class). It is due on or before the last day of class
(early submissions encouraged). Text should be typed, double-spaced, and have
one inch borders. Pages should be numbered. Papers should also be stapled
and include a cover page. Cover pages should include a title, your name, the
course and section #, my name, and the due date.

Note: Students may have the option to revise their graded project, subject to
permission of instructor. Consult with me if you wish to revise. The original
project must be submitted with the revision.

PLAGIARISM:

Plagiarism is defined by the Modern Language Handbook: Fourth Edition as
“ us[ing] another person’s ideas or expressions in your writing without acknowledging
the source” (26). DO NOT plagiarize in your papers or writing. Plagiarism can
result in stiff classroom penalties, and may also lead to college disciplinary action.

GRADING (approximate percentages):

10%           Participation (attendance, in-class assignments and activities, etc.)

30%           Journal

30%           Course Project

30%           Final Exam

100%

A = Excellent, B = Good, C = Satisfactory, D = Poor, F = Failing

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Promotional Materials For Course:
http://ruizhum240.blogspot.com

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Criteria for Essay Evaluation

The A Paper

The A paper develops a clear central idea with originality and depth of thought and displays a consistent sense of audience. Its topic is developed with clear and logical supporting ideas.

The organization is sound. Each paragraph has a core idea supported by fitting examples and illustrations. Paragraphs are joined to those following and those before with smooth links.

Sentences are well put together and varied.

The paper is free of common errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

The B Paper

The B paper has a clearly stated central idea but lacks energy or depth of thought. It draws safe conclusions. The topic is interesting, focused adequately and logically developed.

Organization is correct and logical, but strains a little. Each paragraph has a central idea, examples, or illustrations, and a logical point. Some of the transitions between paragraphs are smooth.

Sentences have little variety in structure.

The paper is largely free of common errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

The C Paper

The C paper has a reasonably clear central idea and shows adequate grasp of the reason for the assignment (such as direction, description, persuasion) but focus is blurred in places. The development with examples or illustrations is sketchy in some spots.

The organization is not altogether clear. Most paragraphs have a sense of organization, but development is vague and transitions between paragraphs are awkward or lacking.

There are some patterns of mistakes in grammar, spelling, and punctuation, but overall, the paper is without serious errors.

The D Paper

The D paper does not state of develop a central idea, though the pattern shows the writer has some central concept. The sense of audience is inconsistent.

The organization is hard to follow, and frequently paragraphs seem to lack a central idea. Transitions between paragraphs are scanty or absent.

Sentences are awkward or incorrectly constructed. The writing does not indicate college-level proficiency.

There are frequent errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

The F Paper

The F paper states no central idea, and has no connection to a single topic. The writing is contradictory and characterized by many apparent changes of subject.

No evidence of overall editing or writing beyond a first draft stage is evident.

Most sentences have errors in construction.

Paragraphing is haphazard.

There are many errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

The Zombie in Media & Popular Culture: HUM 240

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Course Outline

Syllabus

SYLLABUS

HUM 240

GCC: Fall 2016