The Conversation: Studying Science Fiction Films Can Help Students Understand the Power Societies Have to Shape Our Lives

As part of The Conversation's Uncommon Courses series, Henry Dahms, a professor of sociology, discusses his course Sociology, Science Fiction Film, and Artificial Intelligence.

Dahms

What prompted the idea for the course? A colleague in the sociology department used to teach a course using a film genre from the 1940s and 1950s that presented a bleak view of modern societies. I liked the idea of using film in my classes, but I was interested in another film genre. I chose science fiction films to encourage sociology students to adopt a constructive view of the future. I also wanted them to see the parallels between the underlying messages in these films and many concepts in sociology.

Read the full article at The Conversation.

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