Overview of Course

Traveling the globe provides a remarkable opportunity to explore diverse cultures and issues. In this course, students will watch engaging and thought-provoking documentaries (via the ship’s closed-circuit television system or in class) to sharpen their critical assessment of how individuals, places, cultures, and events are depicted. The documentaries often will be related to the countries on our Semester at Sea itinerary. The course will challenge students to scrutinize the point of view of the documentarian while critically examining issues like accuracy and fairness. Students will analyze a variety of documentary genres and examine the varied roles of the documentary producer as a historian, explorer, social activist, entertainer, muckraker, journalist, and creative troublemaker. Students also will learn the history, theory, traditions, techniques, and approaches of documentary film from a Liberal Arts perspective. The course work will include writing analytical papers about the documentary films as well as the conceptual development of a film project related to one of the countries to be visited.

This course is also offered as JTC 456 through the CSU Department of Journalism and Media Communication.