Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Spring 2023 - GSWS 321 D100

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

Anger in Cont Media Clture

Class Number: 6007

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 4 – Apr 11, 2023: Tue, 4:30–6:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

    Jan 4 – Apr 11, 2023: Thu, 4:30–6:20 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:

#MeToo. Greta Thunberg. Insecure. Christine Blasey Ford. The Handmaids Tale. The list goes on of contemporary media products and news stories that reflects women’s collective rage and despair at the white supremacist, heteronormative, capitalist patriarchy. Yet such examples seem to counter the popular feminism (in the form of white feminism, postfeminism and neoliberal feminism) that currently shapes the cultural landscape; indeed, these moments of anger and frustration seem more like a direct response to the rise of “popular misogyny” as conceptualized by feminist media studies scholar Sarah Banet-Weiser. Therefore, this Special Topics course, is an attempt to parse out these current issues and concerns as they are constructed, reported on, and circulated in popular culture. The course will be organized around the following key ideas/issues: popular feminism and its relationship to popular misogyny, and examining and critiquing relevant dominant media discourses; exploring various media (film, TV, comedy, news) that mediate these feelings of rage and despair; thinking about ways to intervene in, and respond to the media as feminists and consumers via themes of resistance and activism. Popular culture has long operated as a balm for women’s rage against the patriarchal machine, so this course will also make important connections to what is happening in the current moment and earlier scholarly debates about feminism’s visibility in the public sphere and popular culture.

Course Objectives

  • Be introduced to feminist debates about popular culture, feminism, and misogyny
  • To examine the issues and topics using a variety of literature and media examples
  • To develop critical thinking skills necessary to analysing and discussing course topics
  • Become critically engaged readers and consumers of popular media

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

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

Grading

  • Class Participation 20%
  • Midterm Exam 25%
  • Creative Group Project (presented at end of term) 25%
  • Final Paper 30%

NOTES:

Final Paper – students will be required to schedule a meeting with me to discuss their final paper topic and get approval.

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Banet-Weiser, Sarah. Empowered: Popular Feminism and Popular Misogyny. Duke University Press, 2018. [This book is available for purchase via the SFU bookstore. A copy will also be placed on reserve through the SFU library.]

Other assigned readings available on the course Canvas or online. Links provided in the syllabus.

REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity website 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