SYLLABUS FOR SEX, LIES & MEDIA
FALL 2006
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COURSE OBJECTIVES
Sex, Lies and Media examines how sex and gender are constructed through contemporary images in television and film. Employing a critical perspective, we will look at representations that socialize us into narrowly defined categories of gender and sexuality. This course explores the ways in which media culture induces people to perceive various dominant and dominated and/or colonized groups of people. We will begin by deconstructing the norms of masculinity and femininity that the media constantly feed us and employ critical perspectives to examine how gender, sexuality, racial, and ethnic marginalized peoples, class relations, and other subaltern or subordinated groups are presented and often misrepresented in media. We will discuss and critique industries such as the advertising industry and the pornography industry, which benefit greatly from perpetuating and naturalizing certain gender norms. Special attention will be paid to bodies that transgress and the commodification of women’s bodies.
Much of the class involves examining, in detail, certain popular cultural texts such as movies and television shows. Finally, we will try and construct alternative imagery and generate new ideas about gender and sexuality through discussion and various projects.
This class is built around one basic assumption: gender and sexuality are culturally constructed. The overall objective of the class is to make you aware of these constructions and to help you develop a critical approach to the media. Being aware of the constructed nature of gender and sexuality opens up many new possibilities for re-imagining these constructions and for building healthier alternatives. We utilize the work of feminist and cultural theorists to understand the ideological nature of stereotyping and politics of representation through use of media, lectures, class discussions, and readings. REQUIRED TEXTS
My role in this class will be primarily that of a facilitator of discussions… someone who brings to you certain texts and readings that are relevant to the theme of the class. I hope this will be a class where we can all teach each other, through our own experiences and ideas about the media, gender, race, class and sexuality. Therefore, the discussions can be a lot of fun if everyone in the class gets into them. Respect for every student’s experience and opinion will be expected.
Also, because some of the theoretical and critical Issues we
will deal with in this course are complex, it is important that students stay
current on the readings.
Attendance and Participation: A significant portion of your grade depends on your attendance and active participation in the class. This requirement consists of the following components: (a) attendance, (b) punctuality, (c) keeping up with the readings, (d) active participation in online class discussions (e) participation in group work.
Academic honesty and plagiarism: All assignments must be the student’s own original work. Please cite sources in your papers and familiarize yourself with CSUN guidelines on academic honesty.
All papers for this class will be submitted to the "Turn it in" website. Turnitin.com is an anti-plagiarism site. When you submit a paper there, it compares it to millions of library databases, internet sites and other student papers to check for originality and gives it an originality score. This helps ensure that the work being turned is your own. So please make sure you are doing original work. If you are quoting from someone, please make sure you attribute the source properly. Plagiarism and cheating are grounds for university action and will not be tolerated. It is the responsibility of the instructor to report any cases of plagiarism to the administration and can result in an “F” on the assignment, in the class. In order to submit your papers (response papers and final paper), please follow the instructions for “turnitin.com” provided on the class webpage.
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GRADING
GRADING SCALE
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ASSIGNMENTS
REACTION PAPERS: These papers are your chance to react to
the readings and materials discussed in class. The purpose of these papers is
to help you synthesize & analyze different ideas and concepts that might
present themselves, not merely summarize them. Use at least two readings, as
well as one of the movie/videos we have watched and discussed in class. React
to a concept or idea in depth. You will be graded on your engagement with the
material and your grasp of concepts/theories discussed in class, and your
analysis of relevant issues as demonstrated through your paper. So draw on the
readings in a thoughtful, meaningful manner. 3-5 pages double spaced, 12 pt. font, provide list of references cited. Paper #1: Constructions of Sexuality Paper #2: Constructions of Masculinity/Femininity Paper #3: Constructions of Race/Class
ATTENDANCE/WORK ON ‘SEXUALITIES FILM SERIES’
As part of the effort to create spaces for the expression of alternative sexualities on our campus, we will work on organizing a “film series” as a class this semester. I am working with a group of professors who have access to films on queer subjectivities. We will provide the films, and you will all work in various groups (equipment, scheduling, speakers, publicity, audience flow) to organize the smooth running and success of the film series. This will give you the opportunity and experience of organizing new spaces for dialogue on subjects of gender and sexuality.
MID-TERM PROJECT… PHOTO-ESSAY COMPARISON: The purpose of the mid-term project is to compare and contrast “real life” images with mediated ones. Please shoot 1-2 rolls of film of any person you know. Try and bring forth his/her personality and life through these photos. Pay attention to both the stylistic (how you frame the person) and the content (what are they doing in the photographs) aspects of your photographs. Now compare and contrast your pictures with pictures from a magazine or commercial websites (preferably online for ease of sharing, or you can scan in relevant pictures if they are not already online). For example, if you have shot pictures of your grandmother, you may choose to compare them with magazine pictures of people from the same age group. How similar/different are they? Why? Use the readings and concepts we have discussed in class to frame your analysis. Submit an accompanying 3-4 page analysis of your process, the framing choices you made, the ways in which media and you constructed gender/race/class and/or sexuality. Notes: You will not be graded on the artistic merit of your photographs, but on your effort and on your analysis of the differences and similarities between the two sets of pictures.
ONLINE EXAM: the online exam will be based on all the readings assigned for this class as well as on all in-class discussions and materials presented. The exam will consist of a variety of questions that allow you to demonstrate your understanding of the concepts.
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