The Cowboys in World Culture

This course will inform, educate, and make you reconsider long-held beliefs about the cowboy, media, and culture. While for many the cowboy is well-known and brings about certain perceptions and feelings we should think twice about whether or not our feelings match reality. We all know the image of John Wayne or Randolph Scott as the rugged, handsome savior, fixer, and fighter who come to the rescue. We also know the archetypical bad guy, from the Sherriff of Big Whiskey, or any of the crooks from Clint Eastwood's movies. The historical facts were quite different, and to dive into these stereotypes gives us a rich thinking environment in which to study our relationships with media. Historical reality, and cultural bias in regards to ethics, morals, and cultural norms all play a part the the cowboy image as it evolved from old world hero images, to Hollywood major productions. 

In this course I discuss the facts and figures of the history of the development of the real, and imagined cowboy. I also look at how the cowboy is like many other media images, cultural icons, and the like. How do we develop these pictures in the public conscious, and how does it effect us as a society?