The politics of culture: A study of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences decision to honor Elia Kazan with a Lifetime Achievement Award

This thesis will examine the recent decision by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to honor legendary filmmaker Elia Kazan with a Lifetime Achievement award. The decision by the Academy has sparked considerable debate regarding the Academy's role during the Hollywood blacklist era of the late 1940's and early 1950's. The Academy's decision to honor Kazan will be examined for the various participants in the decision. Specifically, the positions of those who supported the Academy's decision and the position of those who opposed the Academy's decision will be examined and discussed. This study will make use of primary and secondary sources pertaining to the Academy's decision to honor Kazan. The conclusion is reached that while the Academy's deplorable behavior during the blacklist era did have a definite impact on the Academy's decision, it was only a contributing factor, and not the determining factor, in the Academy's decision.