Sexuality, Gender and Popular Culture FEM 2110a Kathryn ...

Sexuality, Gender and Popular Culture
FEM 2110a

Kathryn Trevenen

COURSE OUTLINE

Class
Tuesdays 5:30-8:30pm
146 MacDonald Hall

Office Hours
Thursdays 1:30pm-3:30pm

11032 FSS
[email protected]

x2326

OFFICIAL COURSE DESCRIPTION
Examines constructions of gender and sexuality in popular culture. Feminist analysis of
the ways in which social relations of gender, race and sexuality have been conceptualized
and experienced in relation to the institutions, technologies, practices and representations
of popular culture.

GENERAL COURSE OBJECTIVES

This course aims to first examine some of the tools that cultural studies, feminist studies,
queer studies, critical race studies and critical disability studies use to analyse and
understand popular North American cultures and representations. We will then examine
some of the main feminist critiques of popular cultural representations and constructions
of gender, sexuality, embodiment, ability, class and race. Throughout the course we will
also be examining “alternative” cultures, artists, texts or moments that seek to disrupt,
contest or challenge mainstream culture.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The following book can be purchased from Venus Envy, 226 Bank Street,
www.venusenvy.ca, 613 789-4646. Please consider supporting this feminist-owned,
LGBTQ positive, super sexy local bookstore!

Jaclyn Friedman and Jessica Valenti, Yes Means Yes!: Visions of Female Sexual Power
and A World Without Rape

Please purchase the course pack (FEM 2110) from Rytec Printing (404 Dalhousie St.) for
the other course readings.

The course book is also on reserve in Morriset Library

Evaluation 15%
 Reading Review I: 15%
 Reading Review II: 30%
 Blog assignment 40%
 Final Exam

Description of Assignments

I. Reading Review I (15%)
Due September 30th in class. 700-1000 words

II. Blog assignment (30%) Due October 28th, Paper submitted in class.
Please write a blog post of 1500-2000 words commenting on and analyzing one of the
four films that the class will choose. For your assignment, you are asked to analyse the
film you choose using a minimum of three readings from the course. You might want to
consult websites like Jezabel, Racialicious or Feministing to get inspiration for this
assignment.

III. Reading Review II: (15%)
Due November 18th in class. 700-1000 words.

IV. Final Exam: Three hour final exam during the official exam period. (40%)

Please note that late submissions are not allowed. Exceptions are made only for illness or
other serious situations deemed as such by the professor. Each day of late submission
results in a penalty of 5% (weekends not excluded). University regulations require all
absences from exams and all late submissions due to illness to be supported by a medical
certificate.

In the event of an illness or related complications, only the counseling service and the
campus clinic (located at 100 Marie-Curie) may issue valid certificates to justify a delay
or absence.

Classroom Etiquette and Respect

In a large class, we all depend on a climate of mutual respect and engagement to make
this a productive and exciting intellectual environment. Please respect these basic
guidelines.

 Electronic devices: Students are asked to turn off all electronic devices such as
cell phones, ipods, and blackberrys. If you need your cell phone on because you
have children or need to remain in contact with someone because of a medical
emergency, please inform Kathryn at the beginning of the class and please leave
the cell phone on vibrate.

 Class discussions: please respect your fellow students by listening attentively
during classroom discussions and lectures. Students talking repeatedly during
lectures will be asked to leave. Racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic or other
discriminatory remarks will not be tolerated.

 Class times: Students who come late to class or leave early disrupt both the flow
of discussion and the lectures. Please respect class times. If you have to leave
class early due to a medical situation, please inform Kathryn or one of the TAs.

Additional Information

Accessibility: Students bring many different accessibility needs to the classroom and
their assignments. Please speak to me if you have any accessibility needs or if you have
suggestions on how to make the class more accessible for you.

Counseling and Study Resources. This course will be dealing with some very difficult
issues such as homophobia, transphobia, ableism, poverty, racism and sexism. If you are
struggling with any of these issues and need support, please consider these resources:

 Center for Students with Disabilities
 Pride Center, University of Ottawa
 Women’s Resource Center, University of Ottawa
 The Sexual Assault Support Centre of Ottawa support line 613 234-2266

University Policies on Harassment and Assault. Please also note the university
policies on harassment and assault available online at
http://www.uottawa.ca/services/sex-har/eng/. If you have experienced harassment
(sexual, racist, homophobic etc.) by faculty, staff or other students, you can report the
harassment to the sexual harassment officer. You might also wish to contact a resource
such as the Ottawa Rape Crisis Center or the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Ottawa.

Class Schedule

September 1. Introduction: course themes, syllabus, expectations.
9th: Does pop culture matter? What does feminism have to say about popular
culture? What does popular culture have to say about feminism?

Video : Lauren Hill, The Narcicyst, Kim Kardashian

September 2. What is popular culture? Is feminist critique still relevant?
16th Reading:
Sara Ahmed, “Feminist Killjoys”
Stuart Hall, “The Spectacle of the Other.”

Film: The Stuart Hall Project
Video: Flo Rida, “Whistle”

September 3. The Feminist Critique: Disciplining Femininity
23rd Reading:
Katie Milestone & Anneke Meyer, “Representing Women”
Sandra Lee Barkty, “Foucault, Femininity and the Modernization of
Patriarchal Power”
Andi Zeisler, “Women Under the Influence”

TV: Orange is the New Black
Music and Video: Miley Cyrus, “Wrecking Ball,” “Party in the USA”

September 4. Remixing the Feminist Critique?
30th: Reading:
J. Jack Halberstam, from Gaga Feminism
Eli Clare, “Freaks and Queers” from Exile and Pride
Javacia Harris, “A Woman’ Worth” from Yes Means Yes

Music: BEYONCE!
TV: Sex and the City and Girls

**Reading Review I Due September 30th in class**

October 5. What’s Normal? I: Feminists Theorize Masculinities in Popular
7th: Culture
Reading:
Gwendolyn Pough, “Love Feminism but Where’s my hip hop”
Nicole Markotic and Robert McRuer, “Leading With Your Head: On the
Borders of Disability, Sexuality and the Nation”
bell hooks, “Gansta Culture—Sexism and Misogyny: Who will take the
rap?”

Film: The Bro Code
Music: Shad, “Brother Watching”; Jay-Z, “Big Pimpin”

October 6. What’s Normal? II: Bodies/Embodiment/Sexuality
21st: Reading:
Julia Serrano, “Skirt Chasers: Why the Media Depicts the Trans
October Revolution in Lipstick and Heels”
28th: Gail Dines, from Pornland: How Porn has Hijacked Our Sexuality
Tobin Seibers, “A Sexual Culture for Disabled People”
Susie O’Brien and Imre Szeman, Chapter Six from Popular Culture: A
User’s Guide
TV: Glee

7. Anti-racist cultural analysis and cultural appropriation
Reading:
bell hooks, “Eating the Other: Desire and Resistance”
Samhita Mukhopadhyay, “Trial by Media: Black Female Lasciviousness
and the Question of Consent” from Yes Means Yes
Sarah Hunt, “An Open Letter to my Local Hipsters”

Film: Kent Monkman, Group of seven inches a titilating taxonomy of the
customs and manners of the European male
Music: Tribe Called Red
Video: Iggy Azalea, “Fancy,” Nicki Minaj, “Anaconda”
**Blog Assignment Due in Class on October 28th**

November 8. What’s Normal? III: Heterosexuality in Popular Culture
4th: Reading:
Kimberly Springer, “Queering Black Female Heterosexuality” from Yes
Means Yes
Juleyka Lantigua, “Man of the House”
Dean Spade, “For Lovers and Fighters”

Film: Vivek Shraya, “What I LOVE about being QUEER
Film: from Friends With Benefits
TV: Pretty Little Liars

Nov 11th: 9. Cultures of Rescue: Saving the Women and Children
Guest Workshop: Paul Saurette, Kelly Gordon, and Frederique
Chabot “Abortion and Sex Work Debates: Popular Political Culture in
Canada”

November 10. Understanding Rape Culture and Slut Shaming: Sex, Consent and
18th: Sexual Violence
Reading:
Jessica Valenti, “Purely Rape: The Myth of Sexual Purity and How it
Reinforces Rape Culture” from Yes Means Yes
Jill Filipovic, “Offensive Feminism: The Conservative Gender Norms that
Perpetuate Rape Culture, and How Feminists Can Fight Back” from Yes
Means Yes

Kate Harding, “How do you Fuck a Fat Woman?” from Yes Means Yes
Jaclyn Friedman, “In Defense of Going Wild” from Yes Means Yes

**Reading Review II Due in Class November 18th **

November 11. Selling the Beauty Ideal
25th: Reading:
bell hooks, “Selling Hot Pussy: Representations of Black Female
Sexuality in the Cultural Marketplace”
Stefanie Snider, “Fat Girls and Size Queens: Alternative Publications and
the Visualizing of Fat and Queer Eroto-politics in Contemporary
American Culture”

Film: Killing Us Softly 4

December 13. Punk and the challenge to mainstream culture
2nd:
Film: from The Punk Singer and AfroPunk
Music: Propagandhi “Refusing to be a Man,” NOFX, “Don’t Call me
White,” Limp Wrist

Resources for you
Mentoring Centre - http://www.sciencessociales.uottawa.ca/mentor/fra/
The goal of the Mentoring Centre is to help students with their academic and social well
being during their time at the University of Ottawa. Regardless of where a student stands
academically, or how far along they are in completing their degree, the mentoring centre
is there to help students continue on their path to success.

A student may choose to visit the mentoring centre for very different reasons. Younger
students may wish to talk to their older peers to gain insight into programs and services
offered by the University, while older student may simply want to brush up on study and
time management skills or learn about programs and services for students nearing the
end of their degree.

In all, the Mentoring Centre offers a place for students to talk about concerns and
problems that they might have in any facet of their lives. While students are able to voice
their concerns and problems without fear of judgment, mentors can garner further insight
in issues unique to students and find a more practical solution to better improve the
services that the Faculty of Social Sciences offers, as well as the services offered by the
University of Ottawa.

Academic Writing Help Centre - http://www.sass.uottawa.ca/writing/
At the AWHC you will learn how to identify, correct and ultimately avoid errors in your
writing and become an autonomous writer. In working with our Writing Advisors, you
will be able to acquire the abilities, strategies and writing tools that will enable you to:

 Master the written language of your choice
 Expand your critical thinking abilities
 Develop your argumentation skills
 Learn what the expectations are for academic writing

Career Services - http://www.sass.uottawa.ca/careers/
Career Services offers various services and a career development program to enable you
to recognize and enhance the employability skills you need in today's world of work.

Counselling Service- http://www.sass.uottawa.ca/personal/
There are many reasons to take advantage of the Counselling Service. We offer:

 Personal counselling
 Career counselling
 Study skills counselling

Access Service - http://www.sass.uottawa.ca/acces/
The Access Service contributes to the creation of an inclusive environment by
developing strategies and implementing measures that aim to reduce the barriers to
learning for students who have learning disabilities, health, psychiatric or physical
conditions.

Student Resources Centres - http://www.communitylife.uottawa.ca/en/resources.php
The Student Resources Centres aim to fulfill all sorts of students needs.

Beware of Academic Fraud!

Academic fraud is an act committed by a student to distort the marking of
assignments, tests, examinations, and other forms of academic evaluation. Academic
fraud is neither accepted nor tolerated by the University. Anyone found guilty of
academic fraud is liable to severe academic sanctions.

Here are a few examples of academic fraud:

• engaging in any form of plagiarism or cheating;

• presenting falsified research data;

• handing in an assignment that was not authored, in whole or in part, by the
student;

• submitting the same assignment in more than one course, without the written
consent of the professors concerned.

In recent years, the development of the Internet has made it much easier to identify
academic plagiarism. The tools available to your professors allow them to trace the
exact origin of a text on the Web, using just a few words.

In cases where students are unsure whether they are at fault, it is their responsibility
to consult the University’s Web site at the following address:
http://www.socialsciences.uottawa.ca/eng/writing_tools.asp « Tools for Writing
Papers and Assignments ».

Persons who have committed or attempted to commit (or have been accomplices to)
academic fraud will be penalized. Here are some examples of the academic
sanctions, which can be imposed:

• a grade of « F » for the assignment or course in question;

• an additional program requirement of between 3 and 30 credits;

• suspension or expulsion from the Faculty.

Last session, most of the students found guilty of fraud were given an « F » for the
course and had between three and twelve credits added to their program
requirement.

For more information, refer to:
http://www.uottawa.ca/academic/info/newsletter/fraud_e.html