Fall 2020 - GSWS 318 D100
Special Topics in Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies (4)
Class Number: 7496
Delivery Method: In Person
Overview
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Course Times + Location:
Sep 9 – Dec 8, 2020: TBA, TBA
Burnaby
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Instructor:
Natasha Patterson
ndp@sfu.ca
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Prerequisites:
30 units, including three units in GSWS.
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:
Is Ellen DeGeneres cancelled? Is Post Malone really a sex symbol? Is Beyoncé a “real” feminist? Why has the Coronavirus pandemic sparked so much debate about the role of celebrities in Western society? Without question, celebrity culture is more pervasive than ever and has become a truly global phenomenon. This Special Topics course is concerned with charting and examining these various issues, situating them within scholarly and popular contexts. The course is divided into two parts: i) introducing students to the academic study of celebrity culture, paying particular attention to gender, race, and sexuality, and ii) exploring some key debates and common cultural narratives about celebrities, including the role that we play as consumers and fans in legitimating celebrity culture. This course is best suited to students who enjoy critically engaging with media, and want to better understand their own relationship to celebrity culture from a scholarly perspective. Students who are not interested in the topic will find the course challenging.
COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:
For more detailed information please see the GSWS website: http://www.sfu.ca/gsws/undergraduate/courses/Educational_Goals.html
Grading
- Online Group Discussions 30%
- Short Paper: Celebrity Profile Analysis 20%
- Detailed Final Paper Proposal 15%
- Final Paper 35%
NOTES:
SYNCHRONOUS and/or ASYNCHRONOUS CLASS SCHEDULING
GSWS 318 will run in an asynchronous manner.
Materials
REQUIRED READING:
- Assigned course readings will be available on Canvas.
- Other assigned readings will be available online.
- Students may need access to Netflix for some course viewings.
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 2020
Teaching at SFU in fall 2020 will be conducted primarily through remote methods. There will be in-person course components in a few exceptional cases where this is fundamental to the educational goals of the course. Such course components will be clearly identified at registration, as will course components that will be “live” (synchronous) vs. at your own pace (asynchronous). Enrollment acknowledges 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. To ensure you can access all course materials, we recommend you have access to a computer with a microphone and camera, and the internet. In some cases your instructor may use Zoom or other means requiring a camera and microphone to invigilate exams. If proctoring software will be used, this will be confirmed in the first week of class.
Students with hidden or visible disabilities who believe they may need class or exam accommodations, including in the current context of remote learning, are encouraged to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca or 778-782-3112).