Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2021 - GSWS 321 D100

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

Queer Relations: Int, Kin, & Community Asian NA

Class Number: 6960

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 8 – Dec 7, 2021: Wed, 10:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

    Sep 8 – Dec 7, 2021: Fri, 10:30 a.m.–12:20 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:

In 2021, Asian North Americans are increasingly in the public eye: on screen, in high-profile television shows and films like Kim’s Convenience, To All the Boys I Loved Before, Never Have I Ever, The Half of It, Minari, and Bling Empire; and in real life too, as vulnerable front-line workers, targets of violence, politicians, and community organizers. Longstanding themes of Asian diasporic cultural production and thought, including family, caregiving, and solidarity, have taken on renewed importance, as diasporic Asians reflect on our relationships with one another as well as with other racialized, colonized, and marginalized people. Drawing on recent scholarship in queer and feminist Asian diasporic studies, this course asks, what do intimacy, kinship, and community look and feel like for Asian North Americans today?

To investigate this question, we’ll discuss films, graphic novels, memoirs, and other creative texts by Asian diasporic thinkers, including LGBTQ artists like Richard Fung, Hiromi Goto, Kama La Mackerel, Leah Piepzna-Samarinsinha, Alice Wu, and Michelle Zauner; we’ll also keep tabs on developments in popular culture. Together, we’ll hone our skills of cultural analysis and critical thought, with the option of producing creative work as well.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

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

Grading

  • Participation (with asynchronous options) 10%
  • Popular culture viewing/reading log 15%
  • Micro-essay (300 words) 15%
  • Group blog (750 words of writing/person) 25%
  • Final project (essay or creative project) 35%

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

  • Hiromi Goto’s graphic novel Shadow Life will be available for purchase through the SFU bookstore.
  • All other course texts will be either available through Canvas, or shown in class.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

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

TEACHING AT SFU IN FALL 2021

Teaching at SFU in fall 2021 will involve primarily in-person instruction, with approximately 70 to 80 per cent of classes in person/on campus, with safety plans in place.  Whether your course will be in-person or through remote methods will be clearly identified in the schedule of classes.  You will also know at enrollment whether remote course components will be “live” (synchronous) or at your own pace (asynchronous).

Enrolling in a course acknowledges that you are able to attend in whatever format is required.  You should not enroll in a course that is in-person if you are not able to return to campus, and should be aware that remote study may entail different modes of learning, interaction with your instructor, and ways of getting feedback on your work than may be the case for in-person classes.

Students with hidden or visible disabilities who may need class or exam accommodations, including in the context of remote learning, are advised to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca or 778-782-3112) as early as possible in order to prepare for the fall 2021 term.