This interactive summer school course invites students on a psychological and cultural journey from Hollywood storytelling to personal self-awareness, with a strong interdisciplinary focus on psychology, (creen)writing, and women’s studies. Drawing on narrative models such as Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, Maureen Murdock’s Heroine’s Journey, and their feminist, screenplayer, and gender-diverse reinterpretations, the course examines how (our personal ) stories shape identity, gender, and inner development. The course combines film and narrative analysis ( Star Wars, The Lion King, Fehérlófia), short theoretical inputs, and experiential self-awareness practices. Through group discussions, creative exercises, and guided reflection, participants translate theory into personal insight.
The course also functions as a pilot study of an innovative self-awareness methodology, inviting participants to engage with and reflect on a developing interdisciplinary approach. Designed for open-minded and curious students, the course blends academic learning with meaningful self-exploration in an intensive summer school setting.
Timetable of the course
| 7th of July 2026 | 8th of July 2026 | 10th of July 2026 | 14th of July 2026 | 15th of July 2026 | 17th of July 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.00-10.30 | Theoretical work on narrative models such as Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, | Theoretical work on Maureen Murdock’s Heroine’s Journey | Theoretical work on the critical interpretation of heroes’ and heroines’ journeys Work on and gender-diverse reinterpretations | A recent critical reflection on both theories from interdisciplinary angles, such as Mina Loy’s Feminist Manifesto, | Theoretical work on Vogler’s memo on Campbell’s book, called Writer's Journey, | Group discussion and debate on the topics of the second Week and brainstorm on possible survey ideas |
| 11.00-12.30 | Examining screenplays of the classical movie the Star Wars/the Lion King: Viewing scenes and interpreting | Examining screenplays of the Disney movie Moana/ Tina movie: Viewing scenes and interpreting the Tina movie | Group discussion and debate on topics of the week | Examining screenplays of the classical movie The Black Swan Viewing scenes and interpreting | Examining screenplays of the Hungarian animated movie: Fehérlófia Viewing scenes and interpreting | Check and complete our own complex frame model according to the previous debate |
| 13.30-15.00 | Guided Self-reflection on our own interpretation of the Hero’s Journey model | Guided Self-reflection on our own interpretation of the Hero’s Journey model
| Small group or pair work: Create a complex frame of models and self-reflection work | Guided Self-reflection on our own interpretation of the Hero’s Journey model | Individual work: Create an interpretation of a favourite movie from the complex model of the course
| and pair work: shaping A list of interview questions on all topics of the courseand pose to a chosen partner form course Final Group Sharing |
Bibliography:
Campbell, Joseph (1949). The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1st ed.). Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. ISBN 9780691097435. (2nd ed. 1968).
Murdock, Mareen (2010). "The Heroine's Journey". Encyclopedia of psychology and religion. New York: Springer. ISBN 9780387718026. OCLC 567352938.
Murdock, M. (2020). The Heroine's Journey Workbook: A Map for Every Woman's Quest. Shambhala Publications.
Vogler, C. (2017). Joseph Campbell goes to the movies: The influence of the hero’s journey in film narrative. Journal of Genius and Eminence, 2(2), 9-23.
https://monoskop.org/images/3/38/Loy_Mina_1914_1996_Feminist_Manifesto.pdf
Beckham, D. K. (2021). The Queeroe’s Journey: A Gender-Diverse Perspective on the Hero and Heroine’s Journey. Pacifica Graduate Institute.
Also some recommended bibliography:
Frankel, V. E. (2014). Buffy and the Heroine's Journey: Vampire Slayer as Feminine Chosen One. McFarland.
Frankel, V. E. (2014). Women in Game of Thrones: Power, conformity and resistance. McFarland.
Frankel, V. E. (2014). From girl to goddess: the heroine's journey through myth and legend. McFarland.
Frankel, V. E. (2020). Star Wars meets the eras of feminism: weighing all the galaxy’s women great and small. Rowman & Littlefield.
Meet the lecturer:
Katalin Borbáth, PhD, assistant professor at the Psychology Institute at ELTE PPK Budapest and at PMI at Pannonia University Veszprem, and also an educational psychologist, Coach ACC, and NVC trainer.
She worked for many years in the field of psychology, education, and school-psychology. From her field experience, her interest leaned toward female teachers’ mental health and professional self-building issues. She became a lecturer at ELTE TÓK in 2015. In 2019, she co-designed, won support at the Erasmus tender proposal, and successful lead a one-week-long intensive KA1 Erasmus training course in Hungary called IOGGA - Inside Out of Growing Gender Awareness- for international participants from all over Europe.
From 2022, she started to work as an assistant professor at ELTE PPK. She has been involved in teaching MA and Postgraduate student also led international courses.
She also has strong international trainer knowledge in NVC- Non-Violent Communication philosophy and an effective mentalising strategy that helps common understanding in everyday/ business life interactions. Her NVC course on the Udemy platform in the English language is available. Recently she moved to the lake Balaton and started to work also at Pannonia University in Veszprém.
From 2006 until recently, she has a long experience in leading personal development for talented kids, as well as effective communications, professional skills building, and self-awareness, self-knowledge reflective groups among university students, employees, and teachers.
Nowadays she has developing and researching a complex self-knowledge tool based upon Heroes’ and Heroine’s Journey.