The amusement park is a timeless symbol of leisure, thrill, fantasy, and entertainment and it is a pastime enjoyed by generations of guests the world over. Today, it is a perfect mix between a time-honored pastime that spans the generations and a modern-day, technological machine that continues to push the limits of thrill.
In this course, students will explore the origins of the American amusement and theme park industry and how the concept has evolved into a major entertainment and leisure destination that welcomes millions of visitors annually. Throughout the semester, we will use a variety of scholarly and popular readings, seminar-style discussion, and individual research, to analyze how the amusement park industry is built upon and influenced by a broad spectrum of fields including science, economics, storytelling, marketing, history, and sociology.
Key assignments will include a pastimes paper focusing on individual student leisure activities that have defined their childhood, a park history research paper, and an in-depth study of the ethics of marine life parks. At the culmination of the course, students will apply concepts learned through class discussions and research to real-world examples and through an original park concept presentation that they will deliver to the class. Given the breadth of attractions within the amusement park industry including rides, shows, festivals, and educational elements, the course is intentionally designed to allow students to explore the areas that interest them the most within both writing and speaking assignments.