UC sociology class unmasks the Caped Crusader
UC sociologist Erynn Cananova uses Batman to teach students important sociological concepts
By Julie Campbell-Holmes
There were nine superhero movies in theaters between 1980 and 1990.
Fifty-five such movies have graced the silver screen since 2010; 10 of which will be released this year alone.
The rising surge of superhero popularity make them an excellent field for pop culture study and a tool for sociologists to teach important concepts to college students, says Erynn Casanova, University of Cincinnati associate professor of sociology and director of the Kunz Center for Social Research.
That's why she created “Gotham Sociology: Batman and Society,” which she launched this past spring at UC's College of Arts and Sciences.
Holy floodgate, Batman!
According to IMDB.com, there have been at least 129 superhero movies in the U.S. since the 1980’s, when Richard Donner’s "Superman" (1978) hit the big screens with its big budget. Successful sequels would follow, and so would other superheroes, including Christopher Nolan’s "The Dark Knight" in 2008, and this year, Ryan Coogler’s "Black Panther" – a movie that broke many records and inspired audiences with its Afrofuturism.
Why are we obsessed with superhero movies, as we were once with Westerns? Stephen Spielberg provided his theory in 2013 when he was interviewed by the Associated Press:
“There will be a time when the superhero movie goes the way of the Western. It doesn’t mean there won’t be another occasion where the Western comes back, and the superhero movie someday returns. Of course, right now the superhero movie is alive and thriving. I’m only saying that these cycles have a finite time in popular culture. There will come a day when the mythological stories are supplanted by some other genre that possibly some young filmmaker is just thinking about discovering for all of us.”
The Western was an original American mythology; an excuse to present archetypes as deeply engrained in our psyche as masked demi-gods. Today, the superhero movie works in a similar fashion, teaching children about morality in a black-and-white fashion, and providing adults a way to escape the complex and ambiguous reality of their moral landscapes. Spielberg points out that like the Western, the success of the superhero in the theatres will wane after a point of super-saturation.
To the Batcave!
Casanova says that while there are many superheros to choose from to teach in her course, she opted to focus on her favorite: Gotham's finest.
“I am personally a fan of Batman, so it made sense to teach this type of class with a superhero I am familiar with, and given his popularity over time, a superhero that most if not all of my students are familiar with," she says. "We’ve had success with other classes that connected popular culture with sociological study and research. I thought this topic was timely, and the class would engage the students and help them apply what they learn.”
Other popular culture sociology classes offered by the college have included “Sociology of Hip Hop” “Fierce Sociology: Beyoncé,” and “Barbie: Sociology of Culture.”
Johnathan Rose
“I was interested in the class because I have never analyzed superheroes this way, as it relates to sociological concepts,” says senior liberal arts major and social art activist Jonathan Rose. “This class presented a perfect start to do it. I’ve strengthened my knowledge of previously learned sociological concepts, and I look forward to learning more.”
Why does Batman continue to be a cultural icon, and what aspects of our society do we see reflected in the fictional world of Gotham?
This was the question posed in the syllabus Casanova shared with students at the start of the course. Over the 15-week semester, students viewed Batman movies, cartoons, and graphic novels. They also read 80-100 pages a week of resources that provided a comprehensive coverage of sociology core concepts, foundational scholars, and emerging theories.
Erynn Casanova, associate professor of sociology and director of the Kunz Center for Social Research (Photo by Elizabeth Vleaminck)
Casanova explains her thinking behind the selection of readings and videos: “I had two main goals for the class, although there were countless topics and concepts that the class could and did discuss. The first was to talk about the relationship between pop culture reception and the real world it is supposed to reflect. The second goal was to discuss hypermasculinity and the sociology of gender. The point is to help students discuss these concepts intelligently and articulately as they relate to the world they live in and the work that they do.”
The class was diverse, with only three of the 30 students being sociology majors. Other students came from programs like classics, psychology, criminal justice, and design. Some assignments included group projects, allowing students to learn from each other as they put together presentations and even comic strips.
Rose responds, “Because of this class, I finally understand the correct definition of symbolic interactionism. My favorite concept to discuss was allegory. Movies like “Dark Knight” and “Batman v Superman” have been considered allegories of what is going on in our country at the time. I think it’s important that we understand what kind of messages and symbols we are absorbing when we watch these shows.”
In most cases when we study pop culture we aren’t saying it is good or bad; we are critically assessing what the messages are and individually people can make a moral assessment or judgement.
Erynn Casanova, associate professor of sociology and director of the Kunz Center for Social Research
I’m Batman
Batman first said, “I’m Batman” in 1940 in Detective Comics Vol 1 #38
The debut of Superman In 1938 was the catalyst of the Golden Age of Comics. Batman followed in 1939, along with other superheroes like Wonder Woman and Captain America. World War II brought increased sales of comic books; people were eager to read patriotic stories that inspired them and gave them hope.
In the 1950s however, sales of comic books waned, in part because of the creation of the Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency and Frederick Wertham’s book “Seduction and the Innocent.” Wertham presented ‘research’ to the subcommittee claiming that superheroes, Batman specifically, were corrupting the youth of America by appearing to promote a homosexual lifestyle. Later it was discovered that Wertham falsified his research, but the damage had been done.
1966: Actors Adam West (left) and Burt Ward as Batman and Robin in the Batmobile in a still from the television series, 'Batman'. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
“It was interesting to the students to compare the American values of the 1940s to the ones espoused today by examining the comic books then and now – especially when it comes to portraying homosexual relationships,” Casanova commented.
As a result of Wertham’s presentation and the Subcommittee’s influence, a Comics Code Authority was developed, and there were rules about what kind of relationships the comic book characters could have. In comparison, today we have a lesbian Batwoman, Catwoman, detective turned vigilante (Renee Montoya), and many more LGBTQ characters in the DC and Marvel universes.
Compared to the debate going on in the 1950s, the campy pop culture Batman in the ABC TV series in the 1960s seemed to solidify Batman’s status as an American Icon.
“I was surprised by how much the students enjoyed the 1960s Batman,” Casanova commented. “Compared to The Dark Knight they are familiar with, I thought the self-mockery of Adam West’s Batman would offend die-hard fans. Instead, they were entertained by the light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek approach in the television series.”
In the1980s, Frank Miller’s "The Dark Knight" graphic novel changed Batman from the cheesy wall-climbing crusader portrayed by Adam West, to an angsty, dark anti-hero fighting to save Gotham from thugs malicious enough to kill for the thrill of it. Miller said that his Gotham was an allegory to “1980s America – which is a frightening, silly place. And it’s often silly and frightening at the same time, and I hope The Dark Knight is silly and frightening at the same time.”
Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy followed suit (pun intended) in 2005 with a Batman who was also an anti-hero, fighting villains in a Gotham that was an allegory, again, but this time to the post 9/11 America in which good and evil weren’t always so…black and white. Many were questioning the violence used to avenge the attacks on our country, in the same way that Batman and Harvey Dent’s methods were questioned in "Dark Knight Returns."
Today, Batman is still The Dark Knight in video games, a television series, and comic books. However, one of the most successful Batman movies in the last few years has been one where Batman is an animated Lego figure. "The Lego Batman Movie" brought back the self-deprecating humor from the 1960s, with the addition of more pop culture gags, and a bro-hood bonding experience between Batman and the Joker that would make even Renee Zellwinger’s character in Jerry Maguire swoon.
Having a Batman that stands four centimeters high provides a welcome break from the hypermasculinity expressed recently in live-action superhero movies. The script also allows students to easily investigate the references that are riffed on in the movie as a way of making fun of not just Batman, but superhero culture in general.
LEGO Batman and Joker, from the 2014 LEGO Batman movie, stand at 4 centimeters tall and weigh 4 grams. Photo Credit: Ev. Safronov / Shutterstock.com
I only work in black. And sometimes in very, very dark gray.
Batman, "The Lego Movie"
In the class, students were asked to form groups and create a page or two of a Batman graphic novel, one that would integrate the sociology terms and concepts they were learning, and would reflect an element of our current culture. Through this exercise, they began to understand how they could influence Batman’s character and Gotham’s society:
Comic created by University of Cincinnati students Andrew Barnes, Tony Castrucci, Monica Todd, and Zach Little
Comic created by University of Cincinnati students Jocelyn Decker, Andrew Ehlman, Siarah Yarborough, and Michael McCarthy
Comic created University of Cincinnati students by Cameron Pitts, Michael Ziegman, Amy Caldwell, and Jonathan Rose
Comic created by University of Cincinnati students Rachel Bosse, Jalen Harris, Zach Shmidlin, and Ciara Cruder
“I was impressed by the talent the students had, and the investment they made in this project,” Casanova said. “The fact that the class was a diverse group of students from different programs and different backgrounds allowed for a variety of approaches. Each group presented unique approaches to the materials discussed in class; this allowed the class to learn more about not just the concepts, but about each other.”
“Creating the comic was my favorite assignment,” Rose affirmed. “It's rare for sociology classes to combine their teachings with art, and to assign a group project where we get to explore our own creativity. I like that. That's what my profession is; social art activism.”
Casanova hasn’t planned her next Batman class yet, as she has been traveling across the globe for other projects this summer. “But I’ll teach it again,” she adds, “Once I have time to update the material. There will be a lot of new material to review!”
Rose affirms continuing with the class, “I don’t know of anyone from the course who wouldn’t recommend this class to a friend or classmate. Keep it going!”
Be yourself, unless you can be Batman
Studying popular culture, whether the focus is on superheroes, toys, or musicians, prepares you for a lifetime of change by developing your appreciation of diversity, love of learning, writing and study skills, and knowledge about human behavior, social organization, culture, and social change. If you are interested in taking a class on popular culture, or majoring in sociology, please contact Alexa Justice, sociology program coordinator, at alexa.justice@uc.edu.
Related Stories
Mural by UC grad honors U.S. military history
July 17, 2024
Local 12 highlighted a new mural by University of Cincinnati graduate and artist Brandon Hawkins that pays tribute to U.S. military history.
Social media fuels extreme political rhetoric
July 17, 2024
UC College of Arts and Sciences Professor Jeffrey Blevins tells Local 12 that online algorithms fuel political polarization on social media.
NIS program opens new horizons for international student
July 17, 2024
In his pursuit of physics and a taste for research, Akash Khanikor ventured from his hometown in India's Assam to the University of Cincinnati, drawn by the promise of hands-on exploration early in his undergraduate career as a NEXT Innovation Scholar.