Humanities Arts Cultural Stu 0245 - Crowds and Power: Literature, Film, Psychology, Society

In the late 19th century, when cities first became home for millions rather than thousands of people, many writers became fascinated with how people behave differently when part of a crowd or a "mass." What is the attraction of being part of a crowd? In the 20th century, the phenomenon of the crowd has become central to modern life, as people joined crowds in many circumstances: mass political movements, strikes, concerts, parades, protests, sporting events, rallies, religious gatherings. We will explore moments in the 20th century where the emergence of crowds has changed the course of history, but also how it has become part of ordinary life. We will look at works of literature and film, and explore the power and behavior of crowds through readings in psychology, political theory, journalism, and many other approaches. This course is affiliated with the Time and Narrative Learning Collaborative (LC). Among other questions, we will be considering: How does being part of a crowd change our sense of time?

Time and Narrative Students in this course can expect to spend 6 to 8 hours weekly on work and preparation outside of class time.