Feminism, Gender, and Popular Culture



Department of Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies

Feminism, Gender, and Popular Culture (15WGS276701)

Autumn 2010

Instructor: Adj. Asst. Prof. Holly L. McEntyre

Office: Online/Blackboard (Bbd)

Email: mcentyhl@mail.uc.edu

Phone: (513) 293-8423

SYLLABUS

• “Sexuality here in America remains a confusing entity. A ‘just say no’ mentality thrives in a culture that uses sex to advertise and sell everything from soap to beer.” ~ Paul Joannides

• “Consumer and popular culture encroach on the terrain of so-called female freedom, appearing supportive of female success and yet tying women into new post-feminist neurotic dependencies.” ~ Angela McRobbie

• “We use the term ‘opposite sex’ when comparing men and women, yet there is not a single psychological test battery that can distinguish male from female test takers.” ~ P. Joannides

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course focuses a critical lens on representations of sex, gender, and sexuality in popular cultural media including film, TV, music, radio, blogs, zines, magazines, poetry, spoken word, and literature, as well as multiple genres including fiction, nonfiction, comedy, documentary, news, and advertising. Students attend critically to cultural representations of social identity markers including (but not limited to) sex, gender, race, dis/ability, nationality, religion, and economic status. Students are responsible to expand their knowledge of critical feminist, race, and gender theories, to complicate their experiences and understandings of identities and popular media, to read/view/listen, discuss, and critique both mainstream and alternative media, and to become discerning consumers and creators of pop culture.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

➢ By the end of this course, you should:

• Recognize feminism as multiple socio-political movements and responses to patriarchy and other systems of oppression;

• Understand some of the history of women’s movements (primarily in the United States), especially in relation to popular culture, mass media, and advertising;

• Identify and comment upon common techniques of (re)producing race, sex, and gender stereotypes, challenge their validity, and produce alternative views; and

• Provide critical commentary as a “conscious consumer” and creator of popular and alternative media, by articulating what feminism means to you and using your understanding of feminisms to provide meaningful critiques.

➢ You will also gain proficiency in using Microsoft Word, PowerPoint (PPT), and so forth, and using Internet resources such as Bbd, Google, YouTube, Prezi, email, and blogs.

COURSE MATERIALS & REQUIRED TEXTS & SUPPLIES

➢ There are three required texts for this course:

• Feminism and Pop Culture (Zeisler) 9781580052375

• American Born Chinese (Yang) 9780312384487

• The Complete Persepolis (Satrapi) 9780375714832

➢ We will read and discuss the “textbook” (Feminism and Pop Culture) and other resources to be provided throughout the quarter – including (but not limited to) the film Iron Jawed Angels, the documentary Killing Us Softly 3: Advertising’s Image of Women, various TV and radio shows, music and poetry, and Internet resources ranging from YouTube vids to blogs like Feministing to site segments on Racialicious or TEDTalks. These multi-media “texts” or “artifacts” will ground our discussions, but you are asked and encouraged to contribute your own knowledge, experience, and perspective – bearing in mind that, while our individual experiences are valid, our perspectives, although rarely unique, are also rarely shared by everyone else. Our class is a collaborative environment, where each person is respected and everyone’s contributions are valued.

➢ To successfully participate in and complete the course, you also need:

• Computer access with audio/video playback capacity and speakers or headphones;

• A hard drive and/or travel/flash/thumb-drive for storing relevant course documents, assignments, and back-up copies of assignments; and

• Microsoft Office 2007 software (for PC or Mac), which can be purchased at a great discount with your UCID from the U.C. Bookstores (see our Bbd for details).

PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS

➢ The best way to do well in an online/Distance Learning course is to stay engaged by keeping an active online presence and participating in all aspects of the course. Your consistent participation is essential to your successful performance in this course. New materials will be presented by the Instructor and the students on a weekly basis, and you are responsible to complete activities and assignments, in addition to posting to the Discussion Board (DB) or to a group blog, during every week of the quarter.

• Students should treat their presence on the course Bbd site as their “attendance.” All assignments are completed and submitted electronically. Students are responsible to make and keep a back-up copy of all assignments.

• You must ensure that your e-mail address and any other contact information are correct on Bbd. You must keep a copy of the Syllabus and Course Schedule. You are responsible to check your email and course Announcements on Bbd DAILY.

• Students will “meet” asynchronously online at least one time per week for discussion of Course Materials and completion of assignments detailed on the Course Schedule.

• Each student is responsible to manage his/her own schedule and to complete and submit assignments on time in accordance with the Course Schedule.

• Each Group of approximately 5 students (to be assigned) is responsible to compose one presentation designed to promote discussion and learning during the term.

• The Instructor is not responsible for any missed communications or delays caused by individual or collective computer failure or other complications.

➢ Grades will be based upon:

Weekly Discussions and other Interactive Assignments up to 50 points (25%)

Weekly Quizzes, Surveys, Tests and other Individual Activities up to 50 points (25%)

Individual Research and Presentation (Blog) up to 50 points (25%)

Group Research and Presentation (Prezi) up to 50 points (25%)

➢ Grading Schema:

The standard UC grading schema is based on a 100% scale with 100 or “A” being the top score. This course will rely upon an identical schema applied to a 200-point scale. Any student compiling fewer than 140 points (70%) by the end of the quarter fails the course and receives a non-negotiable “F” grade.

A 186 to 200 points 93-100% A- 180 to ................
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