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Unit of study_

AMST2606: Stand Up USA: American Comedy and Humour

From Mark Twain to Dave Chappelle, this unit charts comedy's discussions of race, class, gender, and sexuality, and of party and identity politics in the form of parody and satire. Influenced by ethnic, minority, and working-class cultures, comedy challenged and transformed existing norms of American family and institutions, and American identity, sex, and gender. Through forms such as literature, television, stand-up, cinema, and new media, students will learn that comedy provided a space for resistance, profit, and community.

Code AMST2606
Academic unit United States Studies Centre
Credit points 6
Prerequisites:
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12 credit points at 1000 level in American Studies or 12 credit points at 1000 level in Cultural Studies
Corequisites:
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None
Prohibitions:
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None

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. identify major trends in American comedy and humour, and evaluate the relationships between American comedy and humour and American culture and politics
  • LO2. display an understanding of the concepts, narratives and methods used by different disciplines to study the United States
  • LO3. demonstrate a capacity for experimental and problem-solving tasks on the borders between disciplines
  • LO4. demonstrate a greater ability to pursue genuinely interdisciplinary methodologies in other units
  • LO5. communicate knowledge in discussion and scholarly writing.