Contemporary Cultural-Social Approaches in Non-Formal Education: Three Representative Examples from the Fields of Medieval Literature, Theatre of the Absurd, and Modern Cinema

Abstract

Contemporary Cultural-Social Approaches in non-Formal Education is an interesting as well as intriguing area for modern researches in the context of Education, Culture, and Society. The arts, literature, new technologies, pop culture, theatre, cinema and mass media are considered, among others, very important factors/agents of modern non-formal education internationally. In this context, it is strongly highlighted that literature, theatrical plays and cinema can play an important role in contemporary cultural-social approaches to non-formal education nowadays. Based on the latter fact, the current article will present examples from all three aforementioned fields: a case study on Medieval Literature, the poem of ‘Sir Gawain and the Green Knight’ with a connection to the issue of anti-feminism, a case study on Harold Pinter’s play ‘The Birthday Party’ whose title is further discussed and a case study on Paul Verhoeven’s film ‘Basic Instinct’ with a view to present gender stereotypes in the cinematic sphere.

Keywords

• medieval literature
• theatre of the absurd
• modern cinema