POL 392 US NATIONAL SECURITY VIA FILM

In this course we question and critically analyze how movies are both reflections of the ‘politics’ of nation-states as well as productions that help to reinforce political messages and policies. POL 392A broadens the perspective of viewing movies as only tools of entertainment, but rather use films to deepen students’ understanding of the United State’s national security interests, foreign policy, politics and culture. At the end of the course, students will have an appreciation for movies as a tool for understanding some aspects of America's National Security priorities and policies from the Cold War era of nuclear proliferation to the impact of narco-trafficking and associated organized criminal groups such as drug cartels and gangs. It moves cross regionally to give students a global view of national security concerns as they relate to the United States. Methodologically, students will also learn how to conduct simple discourse analyses of films.