Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2021 - GSWS 321 E100

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

Intro to Porn Studies

Class Number: 5958

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 8 – Dec 7, 2021: Tue, 4:30–8:20 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/undergraduate/courses/Educational_Goals.html

Grading

  • Weekly Precis 30%
  • Midterm Essay 30%
  • Final Essay 40%

NOTES:

Weekly Precis  (30%) - At the end of every class meeting you will be given time to collect your thoughts on the readings and the lecture and asked to discuss them with your fellow students. You will then be asked to write these down and submit them. These weekly writings will count as your attendance and participation in class.  You are permitted one unexcused absence. More than 2 absences without a note from the dean or a doctor 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:

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.