I Excavating the Ghetto Action Cycle (1991-1996): a Case Study for A
Excavating the Ghetto Action Cycle (1991-1996): A Case Study for a Cycle-Based Approach to Genre Study by Amanda Ann Klein B.A. in English, Cornell University, 1999 M.A. in English, University of Pittsburgh, 2001 Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Department of English in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Pittsburgh 2007 i UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH FACULTY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES This dissertation was presented by Amanda Ann Klein It was defended on July 24, 2007 and approved by Dr. Jane Feuer, Associate Professor, Department of English Dr. Neepa Majumdar, Assistant Professor, Department of English Dr. Paula Massood, Associate Professor, Department of English (Brooklyn College) Dissertation Chair: Dr. Lucy Fischer, Distinguished Professor, Department of English ii Copyright © by Amanda Ann Klein 2007 iii Excavating the Ghetto Action Cycle (1991-1996): A Case Study for a Cycle-Based Approach to Genre Study Amanda Ann Klein, Ph.D. University of Pittsburgh, 2007 The following dissertation, “Excavating the Ghetto Action Cycle (1991-1996): A Case Study for a Cycle-based Approach to Genre Theory,” traces an historical, cultural and theoretical genealogy for the ghetto action cycle. This controversial cycle, which was initiated by the success of films like Boyz N the Hood and Menace II Society, participated in the period’s broad cultural debates about race, class, crime and youth. As film cycles are strongly shaped by audience desire, financial viability, current events and studio whims, I argue that they retain the marks of their historical, socioeconomic and generic contexts more precisely than genres, which, because of their longevity and heterogeneity, can be unwieldy objects of study.
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