Schedule
- Session 1 (June 9 - 27, 2025)
- Synchronous time: Tuesday and Thursday, 10 – 11:30 a.m. ET
Description
Monsters are metaphors that stand in for what we fear, what we want, and what we can almost—but not quite—perceive. They tell us who we are, help us discuss social issues that are too painful or too personal to address directly, and help us better understand ourselves. In this 3-week course, we will take a deep dive into monster culture through contemporary literature and film. We will examine the giant, the alien, and the weird as a lens through which to understand topics including identity, technology, climate change, and mental health. We will learn tools that can help us make sense of our turbulent cultural and political environment. And we will learn why, in the end, the monster always escapes.
Expected learning outcomes
- Explain how metaphor can be used as a tool for interpreting popular culture
- Analyze the significance of monsters and horror in terms of important social issues
- Reflect on their own relationship with monsters and the monstrous
- Apply what they have learned to a case from beyond the class
Director: Adam D. Zolkover
Adam D. Zolkover is Associate Director for Curriculum Design and Online Education for Penn’s Master of Health Care Innovation, where he works with faculty to develop courses that translate their expertise into effective and engaging online courses. He has previously taught courses on folklore, popular culture, literature, and ethnographic research at the University of Pennsylvania, Temple University, and Jefferson University. And he has published on narrative theory, fairy tales in popular culture, and the folklore of social movements. Adam holds a BA in history from the University of California, Berkeley and an MA in folklore from Indiana University.
