CLC sociology professors use 'Star Wars' to engage students

The worldwide buzz over the Dec. 18 release of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" is yet another example of the epic film series' enduring appeal to all generations, according to John and Maria Jose Tenuto, sociology professors at the College of Lake County. The Tenutos are not only "Star Wars" fans and experts, they use the saga to engage students in learning sociological and psychological concepts.

One sociological example is polysemous, or the idea that an image or concept can have different meanings, said John Tenuto, who has taught themed sociology courses focusing on "Star Wars," "Star Trek" and 1970s popular culture at CLC.

"'Star Wars' is popular not only because it's fun; but because it's many things to many people," he said. "To some, it provides a moral code on how to be a good person, to help others or join a cause bigger than yourself. Others view it as a social commentary, raising questions such as humanity's dependence on technology and how technology can be used for good or evil. Still others see a religious meaning in concepts such as The Force, but others don't see a religious meaning."

"Star Wars" can also demonstrate psychological concepts such as Sigmund Freud's three parts to self-identification, said Maria Jose Tenuto, John's wife. "The id can be seen in Han Solo's mercenary side, when he looks out only for himself. The superego is Luke Skywalker, who is concerned about the welfare of others and wants to join the rebellion. Princess Leia is the mediator between the two, or ego. Citing these 'Star Wars' characters gives students a visual they can understand."

This fall, the Tenutos gave presentations on the history of "Star Wars" at three area libraries. In "A Long Time Ago: The History of Star Wars," they shared examples from their vast collection of "Star Wars" toys and memorabilia, including an autographed Harrison Ford photo. Their research includes more than 2,000 newspaper articles about how our culture reacted to and was influenced by the original films.

"The talks have drawn people of all ages, and some were surprised about trivia on George Lucas, the Star Wars creator," Maria Jose said. "At age 18, he nearly died in a car accident and lost interest in an auto-racing career, and later switched to filmmaking."

The enduring appeal of the "Star Wars" franchise makes it a rare piece of popular culture, said John Tenuto, who received the College of Lake County 2013 Outstanding Full-time Faculty award. "It's like 'Superman' or 'Mickey Mouse,' in that the popularity has never really gone away," he said. "The original 'Star Wars,' released in 1977, was popular because at the time, some of the top movies questioned traditional notions of good and evil.

For example, in 'The Godfather,' released in 1972, the hero is a bad guy. 'Star Wars' offered a simplistic presentation, but it was what the culture needed at the time: to clarify that good is good and bad is bad. The original also touched older and younger generations in that there were shiny robots for the kids, but it also had a 'Buck Rogers' feel for older generations. The movie was like a meteor that struck, making a permanent impression on our culture."

The Tenutos agree with pundits who expect "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" to set box office records worldwide. "We're confident because of the caliber of the people behind the movie," said John. "It includes original actors such as Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher. The imaginative director, J.J. Abrams, also rebooted 'Star Trek' for a new generation."

The "Star Wars" saga not only has been a cultural phenomenon, it influenced a career decision for Dr. Patrick Gonder, a CLC professor who teaches themed English courses and a course on film and society. When the original film was released in 1977, Gonder was in middle school and watched the movie with friends in a Kansas City theatre. "Near the end of the movie, at the climactic moment when Darth Vader was about to shoot Luke Skywalker, and Han Solo came back to help, I realized that I and everybody else was standing and cheering," he said. "I saw a movie do something to audiences that I had never seen before. I was so fascinated by the way the movie moved and shaped its audience. The original 'Star Wars' is one of the reasons I'm a film teacher."

At CLC, themed general education courses are very popular with students, Gonder said. A Spring Semester 2016 "Star Wars" themed section of English Composition II is full to capacity, as are sections centering on horror, comic books, Harry Potter, pop stars, detective fiction and gender/sexuality.

This spring, the Tenutos will teach the history of "Star Wars" through newspapers for a CLC Honors Scholar program humanities class. In addition, they are developing a new CLC sociology course covering ancestry research and sociology. They write frequently for www.StarTrek.com, and with the release of the next "Star Trek" film in 2016, the Tenutos will be presenting their Star Trek fan research at conventions across the U.S. and Canada.