Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Spring 2020 - GSWS 321 D200

Special Topics in Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies (4)

Intro to Porn Studies

Class Number: 8776

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2020: Wed, 9:30 a.m.–1:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    15 units.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

A specific theme within the field of gender, sexuality, and women's studies, not otherwise covered in depth in regularly scheduled courses, will be dealt with as occasion and demand warrant.

COURSE DETAILS:

On delivering the verdict on charges of obscenity in the film Les Amants, Potter Stewart uttered the now famous lines, “I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description ["hard-core pornography"]; and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it, and the motion picture involved in this case is not that.” Why is pornography so difficult to define but yet very easy to recognize? Through a genealogical method this course will investigate the circulation of images and ideas that constitute pornography and study the anxieties that it has generated at various moments in time and how these anxieties are related to the disciplining and policing of sexuality. It traces the various academic debates, and events in film- making, literature and everyday life related to pornography, which will be used as prisms to understand and study sexuality.  If we locate pornography as the site where we can study the fantasies and desires of our culture then what do these fantasies tell us about the human condition and why do cinematic or visual depictions of these fantasies make us nervous and incite panic? Using pornography as an entry point, we will study the fantasies of our culture and how they link up with notions of health, morality, governmentality, citizenship and censorship.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

For more detailed information please see the GSWS website: http://www.sfu.ca/gsws/courses/Educational_Goals.html

Grading

  • Attendance and Participation 10%
  • Midterm Essay 1 30%
  • Midterm Essay 2 30%
  • Final Essay 30%

NOTES:

You are permitted one unexcused absence. More than 2 absences without a medical note will result in the loss of one letter grade. Participation means coming to class on time, having completed the readings, and engaging with the discussions in class. It can include playing an active role in small group activities and/or posting relevant links in the canvas discussion section before or during class.

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

All textbooks will be available through the library.

Registrar Notes:

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating.  Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community.  Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS