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Youth and Suicide in American Cinema
Context, Causes, and Consequences
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Book Presentation:
This book explores the depiction of suicide in American youth films from 1900 to 2019. Anchored in Sociology, this multidisciplinary study investigates the causes and consequences of suicide and uncovers the socio-cultural context for the development of youth, film, and suicide. While such cinematic portrayals seem to privilege external explanations of suicide versus internal or psychological ones, overall they are neither rich nor sensitive. Most are simplistic, limited or at the very least unbalanced. At times, they are flatly controversial. In light of this overall problematic depiction of suicide, this book offers a proactive approach to empower young audiences―a media literacy strategy to embrace while watching these films.
About the Author:
Alessandra Seggi is a Fulbright scholar and an award-winning artist. At Temple University, USA, her research and teaching focus on the intersection of the social sciences and media. She is currently working on an innovative project combining drawings with rhymes and traditional texts to illustrate the key dynamics of social life.“For a list of recent conference and event appearances, please visit alessandraseggi.com/related-events/”
Press Reviews:
"Seggi’s Youth and Suicide in American Cinema: Context, Causes, and Consequences is an excellent study that is, at the same time, a highly informative and thorough exploration of the depiction of suicide and suicidality in American youth films as well as a well-researched study that investigates the socio-cultural and psychological causes and consequences of suicide. … Seggi’s study represents an important contribution to the understanding of the complex relationship between youth, suicide, and its cinematic representation." (Paolo Stellino, Cinema - Journal of Philosophy and the Moving Image, Vol. 16 (1), 2024)
"The author is nothing but generous in providing context and in explicating her theoretical, methodological, and conceptual frameworks, which are sure to be helpful to readers who are unfamiliar with the literature on suicide and its representational history. … Seggi’s book is a vital contribution to the literature that goes beyond the pathologizing and individualizing tendencies that are so prevalent in mainstream suicidology research." (Mike F. Alvarez, Qualitative Research in Medicine & Healthcare, Vol. 8 (2), 2024)
"The book is written as an act of service for all unfortified youth, reading like a voice that cuts through static to say, ‘I’m here, I’m listening.’ To take things up a level, this book is not just a helpful tool for youth but also for anyone who has been affected by suicide. …" (Kate Brennan, Fulbright Chronicles, Vol. 2 (4), 2024)
See the publisher website: Palgrave MacMillan
> On a related topic:
Screening Generation X (2020)
The Politics and Popular Memory of Youth in Contemporary Cinema
Subject: Sociology
Campus Life in the Movies (2008)
A Critical Survey from the Silent Era to the Present
Subject: Sociology
Screening Nostalgia (2011)
Populuxe Props and Technicolor Aesthetics in Contemporary American Film
Subject: Sociology
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