Calendar

Eng. 100A /Media Representations of Gender and Sexuality, Fall 2019

Course Schedule:

Professor reserves the right to change this schedule as needed. It is your responsibility to regularly check your email and blog between classes for any changes. Note: Readings are to be completed by the day they are listed below.


Week 1

Tues, Aug 20: Introduction to class syllabus

Homework: 1) Prepare the assigned readings for class and answer the discussion questions.

Thurs, Aug 22: What is Representation? What are stereotypes of femininity and masculinity?

Read: Jean Killbourne, “Jesus is a Brand of Jeans”; Jean Killbourne, “Beauty and the Beast in Advertising”; Kate Betts, “Man Who Makes The Pictures Perfect
Write:  Answer Discussion Questions before coming to class:

Today’s Agenda:

  •  Free-Write: What kind of impact do you think advertisements have had on you? Think of your earliest memory of advertisements. Was there a particular ad that you liked? Was this advertisement something that you loved seeing over and over? In 1-2 paragraphs, describe your experience with the advertisement in as much detail as possible.
  • Group Activity: Get into groups of 3-4 and do the following:  1) Share your free-write about an advertisement that impacted you. 2) Discuss your thoughts on the readings and answer the discussion questions here. Be prepared to share your group’s discussion with the rest of the class.

Homework:

1) Prepare Next Week’s Readings and answer the discussion questions.

Week 2

Tues, Aug 27: 

Read: Jennifer L. Ponzer, “Dove’s Real Beauty—a Backlash” and answer the discussion questions here.

Today’s Agenda:

  • In-Class watch: Jean Killbourne’s Killing Us Softly 4
  • Outline: Create a group outline about documentary (Google Doc)

 

Homework: Find one advertisement and answer the “Questions for Analyzing Images” (pp. 33-4). Bring your answers to class (also post on Canvas).  These questions are intended to help you begin writing your advertisement analysis paper.

 Thurs, Aug 29:  How to Analyze Advertisements

Read: In Rereading America, read Jean Killbourne “Two Ways a Woman can Get Hurt: Advertising and Violence” (pp. 545-569).
Write: Answer Engaging the Text discussion questions 1-4, p. 570

Today’s Agenda:

  • Resume discussion of Jean Killbourne’s Killing us Softly 4 & complete group Outline
  • Address Ponzer’s critique of Dove’s “Real Beauty” campaign
  • Students divide into groups and discuss Killbourne’s argument on advertising and violence.
  • Classroom Debate Nike’s Big Butt Advertisement. Do the advertisements challenge idealized body images or merely reinforce them?

 

Week 3

Tues, Sep 3:   How do I Formulate an Argument about Advertisements?

Read:   Finish reading in Rereading America, Jean Killbourne “Two Ways a Woman can Get Hurt: Advertising and Violence” (pp. 545-569).
Write: Answer Engaging the Text discussion questions 1-4, p. 570

Remember! Bring your computers to class

Today’s Agenda:

  • Discuss how to analyze advertisements: Questions for Analyzing Images
  • Time permitting, begin drafting your essay (bring your computers to class)

Homework: Choose 1-2 advertisements that you want to analyze for your essay. Before writing your first draft, complete the advertisement analysis worksheet. Once you’ve completed your questions begin writing your essay draft.   Bring  2 copies of your draft + Peer-Review Handout.  Guidelines for your essay is here.

Thurs, Sep 5:   Writing Workshop: Developing Paragraphs

Read: Stuart Hirschberg, “The Rhetoric of Advertising”; “Sample Ad Analysis”  

Today’s Agenda: 

  • Formulating a thesis and developing your argument
  • The Rhetorical Triangle of Advertising
  • Revising your essay: Peer-Review

Due: Advertisement Essay Draft 

Homework: Revise your Advertisement Essay and turn in final copy (with draft & Peer-Review)

Week 4

Tues, Sep 10:  Writing Workshop: Revising your Thesis and topic sentence  

Today’s Agenda:

1-  How to cite images
2- The importance of revising your thesis statement
2- Topic sentences and their relationship to the thesis
3- Exercise on revising your thesis and topic sentence (see Google Doc)

Due: Draft 1 Advertisement Essay

Homework:  1) Complete the film response worksheet; 2) Complete the assigned readings and any discussion questions due.

Thurs, Sep 12:   Writing workshop: In-text Citation and Works Cited

Today Agenda:

  • Review image citation
  • What is in-text citation (handout provided)
  • What is  Works Cited and how to do it (see Google doc for activity sheet)

Week 5

Tues, Sep 17: The Beauty Trap: Power and the Global Impact of Media

Read: Loren Kleinman, “The Illussionists: The Globalization of Beauty”

Today’s Agenda:

In-Class: Watch The Illussionists: The Globalization of Beauty.
Discussion: Divide into groups of 3-5 and discuss key ideas of the documentary using the discussion handout
Activity & Homework: Go to the documentaries folder in Google Doc and work in groups of 3-4 on the activity. Be prepared to present your findings on Thursday.

Due: Final Advertisement Essay

Homework:  1) Complete the film response worksheet; 2) Complete the writing assignments and group activity, due on Thursday (200 words, 1 page double spaced).

Thurs, Sep 19:  Ideal Body Images: Different Cultures, Different Images 

Read: Alana Vagianos, “What the ideal Body Image Looks like in 18 Countries”; Alana Vagianos “What the Ideal Man’s Body Image Looks Like”; Institute for the Psychology of Eating, “Body Image Around the Globe”;

Today’s Agenda:

Class Discussion and group activity on the Illusionists. Students share their writing assignment and findings (200 words).

 Group Discussion: Discuss your thoughts about the ideal body images in different countries. What do they have in common? How are they different?

Homework: Read the assigned articles answer the discussion questions (bring hard copies of your answers to class).

Week 6

Tues, Sep 24:  Men, Body Images & Body Shaming

Read: “19 Men Go Shirtless and Share their Body Image Struggles” (Huffington Post) at home watch Bigorexia: Never Buff Enough |Dennis Campbell, “Body Image Concerns More Men than Women, Research Finds”

Answer discussion questions here:

Today’s Agenda:

  • Interactive Lecture: Introduction to men’s body issues & pressures to conform to “masculine” standards of beauty.”
  • Group Activity: In groups of 3-4, answer the discussion questions for the above articles. Each group must be prepared to share their discussion with the class.

Homework:  Finish the assigned readings and answer the discussion questions

Thurs, Sep 26:

Read:  BBC Newsbeat; Institute for the Psychology of Eating, “Men and Body Images”; Dave Chawner, “My Battle with Anorexia”  & answer the discussion questions here.

Today’s Agenda:

  • Summarizing and integrating quotations: students work in groups to summarize key points and quotations (Google doc has instructions)
  • In-Class Watch (time permitting): I Hate My Body Skinny Boys and Muscle Men

Homework:  Complete assigned readings and discussion questions from Rereading America.

Week 7

Tues, Oct 1:  Gender Myths: Doing Gender

Read & Write: In Rereading America, Jamaica Kincaid, “Girl” (pp. 477-479) and answer Engaging the Text discussion questions 1-4, p. 479; Lisa Wade and Myra Marx Ferree, “How to do Gender” (pp. 480-486) and answer Engaging the Text discussion questions (1-5, pp. 493-494)

Today’s Agenda: 

  • Create a list of male vs. female qualities based on the texts;
  • What is gender? Nature vs. nurture.
  • Discussion of concepts (doing gender, gender rules, etc.)
  • How does “Girl” do gender?
  • Students work in groups and provide examples of “doing gender”

Homework: continue reading the Wade and Ferree essay.

Thurs, Oct 3:

Read: In Rereading America, Lisa Wade and Myra Marx Ferree, “How to Do Gender” (pp. 486-493)

Today’s Agenda:

  • Watch: The Marvelous Ms. Maisel (Season 1, Episode 1-Available on Amazon)
  • Discussion of Maisel and how concepts from Wade & Ferree’s theories apply to the film (Handouts will be provided in class).

Homework: free-write: in 2-3 paragraphs reflect on the ways that you see Wade and Ferree’s concepts applying in Maisel.

Week 8

Tues, Oct 8: Writing Workshop: How to Analyze Film

Read: TBA

Today’s Agenda

  • Resume discussion of Masiel and discuss forthcoming assignment
  • Students discuss their free-write (see above)
  • Divide class into 5 groups. Each group will work on showing how particular aspects of Wade and Ferree’s article apply to Maisel (Handout provided in class)

 

Homework: Groups work on preparing their presentation for Maisel.  After you have completed this assignment, each student will individually write a paper analyzing gender performance in Maisel.

Thurs, Oct 10:  Writing Workshop:  How to integrate quotes into your analysis 

Read: TBA

Today’s Agenda:

  • Students present their analysis of doing gender in Maisel to the class.
  • Lecture: Writing workshop on how to analyze film
  • Students begin writing drafts.

Homework:  Work on writing your draft of Maisel.

Remember! Bring your laptops to class

Week 9

Tues Oct 15:  Writing Workshop: How to Synthesize Materials

Read: TBA

Today’s Agenda:

  • Writing workshop: synthesizing materials and analyzing film
  • Peer-review: students work on revising their papers.

Due: Draft of Doing Gender in The Marvelous Ms. Maisel

Homework: Complete the assigned readings. Then, write an analysis of a video clip from a music video or film that illustrates the male gaze and how it works. Here is the link to the prompt and some key points to think about from Laura Mulvey.  

Thurs, Oct 17: The Male Gaze

Read: Tamar Lapin, “Cornell student strips during thesis presentation to protest professor”; Laura Mulvey, “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema”

Today’s Agenda:

  • Free-Write: What do you think the professor in “Cornell student strips” meant when she told the student that she’s encouraging “the male gaze” by the way she is dressed? How do you feel about the student’s response to her professor? Do you think professors have the right to criticize their students’ attire?
  • Lecture: Introduce the term the “male gaze” and Laura Mulvey who coined the term.

Homework: Free-Write: In 3-4 paragraphs respond to the following questions: Have you ever thought about how music videos portray men, women, and sexuality? How do you think music videos define and portray “femininity”? How about “masculinity”? What stories do music videos tell about gender, relationships and sexuality? You may draw on examples from music videos you have already watched to convey this idea.

Week 10

Tues, Oct 22: The Male Gaze & the Dangers of a Single Story:  

Read: Rachel Parker, “Storytelling in the 21st Century: Fading out on the Male Gaze”

Today’s Agenda:

  • Free Write 1: Identify two key ideas that you had not thought about before reading Mulvey. What do you think is her main argument? Are there any points in her essay that you find challenging to understand?

Due: Final paper of Doing Gender in The Marvelous Maisel

Homework: Think about a music video that you know or like. Write a 3-4 paragraphs in which you reflect on whether the arguments presented in Dreamworlds apply to it. If so, which ones? Be sure to provide examples.

Thurs, Oct 24: The Dangers of a Single Story in Music Videos:  

 Read: TBA

Today’s Agenda:

  • Class Discussion: Students share and discuss their free-write homework about the stories music videos tell (see above).
  • In-class Finish Watching: Dreamworlds 3: Desire, Sex & Power in Music Video
  • Group Activity: Students get into groups and prepare for their music video analysis. In groups of 3-4, students find a music video that they want to analyze together and which applies to the male gaze.

Homework:  Now that you have watched Dreamworlds 4, think of a music video that you would like to analyze. The video can be similar to the ones that are criticized in Dreamworlds or it can be a video that empowers women and relationships and that challenges existing mainstream music.

Week 11

Tues, Oct 29: Writing Workshop: How to Analyze Music Videos

 Read: TBA

Today’s Agenda:

  • Guidelines on how to analyze music videos.
  • Students coordinate their analysis of their music video (this will serve as an initial draft). Following the presentation on Tuesday, each student will individually write their own analysis of a music video which can be the same video analyzed in the group or a different video.

Homework:  work with your group on the analysis of your music video

Thurs, Oct 31: Analyzing music videos

Students present their music video analysis

Homework: work individually on your draft of the music video analysis

Remember! Bring your computers to class.  

Week 12

 

Tues, Nov 5:

Writing Workshop: How to develop & Support Your Argument

Read: TBA

Today’s Agenda:

  • Writing workshop and peer-review:

Due: Draft of your Music video essay

 

Homework:  work on your final music video analysis paper due next week

Thurs, Nov 7:  Unmasking Masculinity

Read: TBA


Today’s Agenda: 

  • Class Activity: The Masculinity Mask
  • In-Class Watch: The Mask we Live in


Homework: Free-Write 2-3 paragraphs in which you identify 1-2 concepts that you learned after watching Mask

Week 13

Tues, Nov 12:

Today’s Agenda:

Group Activity: Students work in groups and share some of the key concepts they learned from watching Mask
In-Class Watch: continue watching The Mask we Live in

Homework: complete the required readings and discussion questions

 Due: Final music video analysis paper

Thurs, Nov 14: Growing up Male: Masculinity and the Fear Factor

Read: In Re-reading America, Carlos Andres Gomez, “Guys Club: No Faggots, Bitches, or Pussies Allowed” (pp. 495-503)
Write: Complete Engaging the Text discussion questions, (1-4, pp. 503-504)

Today’s Agenda:

Homework: TBA

Week 14

Tues, Nov 19:

Read: Justin Baldoni, Why I’m done trying to be Man Enough

Today’s Agenda: Resume discussion of Gomez’ essay
Group Activity: 1) Students are divided into groups to work on Exploring Connections questions, 5-7, pp. 504.
2) Students work together comparing and contrasting Gomez’ and Baldon’s arguments about the pressures of masculinity.

Homework:   Work on your draft of masculinity and film analysis

Thurs, Nov 21:

Thanksgiving Break

Week 15

Tues, Nov 26:  Masculinity and Violence

Read: Colleen Clemens, “What we Mean When we Say Toxic Masculinity”; Jackson Katz, Violence Against Women—It’s a Man’s Issue 

Today’s Agenda:

  • Group Activity: Students divide into groups and discuss readings.
  • Guest Speaker, Susan Pulido

Thurs, Nov 28: Writing Workshop: Comparative Analysis

Read: TBA

Today’s Agenda:

Homework: Draft of your film trailer analysis due. Bring your draft to the Writing Center on Thursday.

Due: Draft of your film analysis paper

Remember! Meet at the Writing Center Today

Homework: Revise your paper and bring your second draft to class.

Week 16

Tues, Dec 3:

Today’s Agenda: students work on papers and meet with professor

 

Thurs, Dec 5:   

Due: Final film analysis paper 

Week 17

Tues, Dec 10:

Final Exam Week