389 COM/AES/WS Ethnicity, Gender, Sexuality and the Media
Summer 2008 A-Term M/T/W/Th 12:00-2:10pm CMU 230 Instructor: Vanessa Au, M.A. Office Hours: Tuesdays and Wednesdays 2:30pm-3:30pm Office: CMU 340G Email: [e-mail] Class website: http://staff.washington.edu/auv/389/ Go Posts: https://catalysttools.washington.edu/gopost/board/auv/6546/ Course Overview This course will examine representations of race, gender, and sexual identity in the media, investigate what influences these representations, and consider their repercussions. This course will encourage you to analyze media phenomena in a manner that is theoretically grounded, context-specific, and historically situated. Instead of looking at media representations as simple and monolithic, we examine them as being complex and constituted in and through communication. Using a combination of lectures, class exercises, assignments, and discussion, we will explore such questions as: How are race, gender, and sexual identity socially constructed by the media? How are power and privilege related to media representation and stereotyping? How do the economics and working practices of media industries play a role in portrayals and coverage of groups, particularly racial and sexual minorities and women? What are the differences between how the commercial media and independent media depict people of color, LGBT people, and women? What effects might these images have, and what sense do audiences make of them? What are the needs and interests of minority communities, and are they being met by the mainstream media? Is change in the diversity of media images likely, and what can be done to promote change? Course Objectives By the end of this course, you should be able to: Critically deconstruct the representations of race, class, sexuality, and gender in the media and articulate how media representation connects to issues of power and privilege. Explain the influence of media industries economic imperatives and working norms on representations of race, gender, and sexual orientation. Discuss the effects of media representation on audiences, and how audience members might interpret the meanings of media representations. Explain the goals and functions of the ethnic and community media.
Develop ideas about how to improve or challenge entertainment and news media to better reflect the nations true diversity.
Readings The readings are critical to your understanding of the material. I have tried to select readings that will introduce you to important theoretical concepts and also provide concrete examples from the mass media. In some cases, the readings will provide valuable background for issues we will discuss further in class. At other times, the readings will supplement what we discuss in class by addressing issues and concepts that we do not have time to cover in class sessions. On the syllabus, I have also included some key questions to keep in mind as you do the readings (note: these questions may appear on the midterm). Please complete the readings prior to coming to class. Material from the readings should be incorporated into your answers on the midterm exam.
Copyright 2008 Vanessa Au. Parts of this course were developed by Dr. Ralina Joseph and used with permission.
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Textbook (at the UW Bookstore): Dines, Gail, & Humez, Jean M. (2003). Gender, Race, and Class in Media. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. This edited volume contains readings that vary in style and degree of difficultysome are formal academic studies, some are reprinted articles and book chapters, and others are more personal essays. If you encounter an unfamiliar term, refer to the glossary at the back of the book. Readings for download. There will also be required readings available for download in PDF format from the class web site.
Course Requirements You will meet the course objectives by fulfilling the following requirements: You will meet the course objectives by fulfilling the following requirements: Writing an 8-10 page analysis of minority representation in a particular aspect of the media.
Demonstrating your understanding of the material through a midterm which will be short answer in format. A week prior to the exam date I will distribute a list of potential exam questions. The questions that appear on the exams will come from that list, as well as from the key questions about the readings that appear in the Schedule section of this syllabus. Completing 10 graded mini-assignments throughout the term. These short assignments are designed to get you thinking about key issues and provide opportunities to express your own views. Some will be done in-class (they will not be announced ahead of time), and others will be done using Go-Post, an online discussion board. There will be a total of 12 mini-assignments throughout the term. (Please note that they may not be announced in advance.) You may miss 2 mini-assignments without penalty. NO LATE MINI-ASSIGNMENTS, NO MAKE-UPS. (Unless we have spoken ahead of time, before the course started, about a planned absence) o Go Post assignments are to be done online here: https://catalysttools.washington.edu/gopost/board/auv/6546/ o Go Posts will be graded out of 5 like other mini-assignments. A score of five will be awarded to posts that reflect careful thought and reflection, include well-written responses to all the questions I pose for the post, and incorporation of concepts learned in the course. Final presentation and poster that shares the arguments and analysis made in your final paper.
Grading Your grade will be determined by the following: Demonstration of learning through: Midterm Exam Representation analysis paper Representation analysis presentation and poster Ten 5-point graded mini-assignments (include in-class assignments, GoPosts, and group work) Total points Points 100 100 50 50 300
Your final grade will be calculated on a straight scale using the following percentages (as per UW grading standards) found at http://www.washington.edu/students/gencat/front/Grading_Sys.html) 90-100% = A (3.7-4.0) 80-89% = B (2.7-3.5) 70-79% = C (1.7-2.5) 60-69% = D (0.7-1.5) below 60% = F (0.0) Class Policies and Expectations Classroom Conduct In class, we will engage with the ideas and issues of race and gender in the media through discussions,
Copyright 2008 Vanessa Au. Parts of this course were developed by Dr. Ralina Joseph and used with permission.
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screening of videos, group activities, research projects, and lectures. It is crucial that you arrive ON TIME and ready to engage. Your active participation in the learning process is expected and valued. Ethnicity, gender, and sexuality in the media is a stimulating topic area, filled with controversies that touch upon our personal values, experiences, beliefs, and issues of identity. It is absolutely vital that everyone feels safe to air her or his ideas and opinions. Please do so in a respectful manner that validates all opinions whether or not you agree with them. The issues we will address can be highly emotional ones and we wont always agree with one another. In such cases, rather than respond in a defensive manner, either internally (e.g. shutting down) or externally (e.g. verbal attacks), I encourage you to not so much seek to be understood as to understand. Students who exhibit threatening or disrespectful behavior will be dismissed from the class and subject to disciplinary action pursuant to the Student Conduct Code of the Washington Administrative Code http://www.washington.edu/students/handbook/conduct.html Absences If you know in advance you will be absent from class, it is your responsibility to let me know at least a week ahead of time and turn in assignments early. If you will be missing an exam due to an emergency (legitimate documentation required) or to compete as part of a UW athletic team, you must let me know at least a week ahead of time to take the exam early. There are otherwise no make-ups allowed for exams. Please get a copy of any missed notes and homework assignments from a classmate, not from me. Papers and Assignments Barring documented extenuating circumstances, late final papers will be subject to a penalty of -20% of your grade for each day that it is late. Papers that are more than 3 days late will not be accepted. Extenuating circumstances might include illness or accident among other things, but no accommodations will be made without legitimate documentation (e.g. police report, written note from your doctor, etc.) Papers must be stapled, typed (12-point Times New Roman, 1 margins) and turned in in hard copy at the beginning of the class that it is due. If you are turning in a paper late, have it date stamped at the COM Department office and place it in my mailbox in CMU 236 (slot above my name). Papers submitted via email will not be accepted. This class demands the clear articulation of your ideas in written form. It is expected that your writing reflect careful research, planning, and organization and be free of grammatical errors. Resources for Writing Assistance The University of Washington provides a number of resources designed to help you to write with clarity and purpose. For a list of these resources please go to http://faculty.washington.edu/jwholmes/uwwrite.html. Within the Communication Department you can also get help at the Communication Writing Center http://www.com.washington.edu/Program/Undergrad/cwc.html Academic Misconduct Academic misconduct encompasses plagiarism, cheating on examinations or on individual project assignments, fraud, and theft or alteration of other people's work on academic materials for the purpose of improving one's own grades or acquiring academic credit. Students accused of academic misconduct will be referred for disciplinary action pursuant to the Student Conduct Code of the Washington Administrative Code, and if found guilty are subject to sanctions. ADA Accommodations To request academic accommodations due to a disability, please contact the disabled student services office (206-685-7208) or email [e-mail]. If you have a letter from their office indicating that you have a disability which requires academic accommodations, please present the letter to me no later than day 3 so we can discuss the accommodations that you might need in this class. http://www.washington.edu/students/gencat/front/Disabled_Student.html Reading and Class Schedule Mon, 6/23 Day One: Introductions; Overview; Power, Privilege, and Discrimination Due (at midnight tonight) Mini-assignment #1: Make a list of privileges from which you benefit and then write a paragraph addressing the following three questions: (1) Before class and this exercise were you aware of your privileges? (2) Do you believe that there is a way to counteract privilege? (3) If so, do you believe that it is necessary?
Copyright 2008 Vanessa Au. Parts of this course were developed by Dr. Ralina Joseph and used with permission.
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Copyright 2008 Vanessa Au. Parts of this course were developed by Dr. Ralina Joseph and used with permission.
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Tues, 6/24
Day Two: Introducing Cultural Studies and Representation Due: Ungraded help Vanessa get to know you assignment Required readings from the text: Kellner, Douglas. Cultural Studies, Multiculturalism, and Media Culture. In Dines & Humez, pp. 9-20. Q: What does Kellner mean when he says, there is an intrinsically critical and political dimension to the project of cultural studies that distinguishes it from objectivist and apolitical academic approcaches? (p. 11) Kellner introduces a cultural studies approach to studying issues of race, class and gender in the media. This approach analyzes the political economy of the media, media texts, and audience reception. What do these terms refer to and, according to the author, why is it important to study them?
Wed, 6/25
Day Three: Political Economy of the Entertainment Media Industry and the Production of Images Screening: No Logo Required readings from the text: Croteau, David and Hoynes, William. The New Media Giants: Changing Industry Structure. In Dines & Humez, pp. 21-39. Q: Today, there are literally hundreds of television channels for viewers to watch. So why isnt there more diverse programming on TV, according to the authors? Jhally, Sut. Image-based Culture. In Dines & Humez, pp. 249-257. Q: What does Jhally mean when he says the advertising industry had to educate as well as sell? What kind of images does advertising promote and why? In what way is advertising an all pervasive propaganda system for commodities? What is the purpose of music videos? Steinem, Gloria. Sex, Lies, and Advertising. In Dines & Humez, pp. 223-229. Q: Steinem recounts her experiences with advertisers as the editor of Ms. magazine. In what ways did advertisers influence (or try to influence) the content of Ms.? What is complementary copy? Optional readings: Fejes, Fred. Advertising and the Political Economy of Lesbian/Gay Identity. In Dines & Humez, pp. 212-222. Q: How did publications targeted at lesbians and gays change when the publications became more dependent on advertisers? How might this change affect gay and lesbian identities? How did the emergence of a gay male target audience affect other types of media? Day Four: Media Effects, Stereotypes, and the Active Audience Required reading from the text: Dines, Gail & Humez, Jean. A Cultural Studies Approach to Gender, Race, and Class in Media. In Dines & Humez, pp. 1-7. Q: What is meant by encoding and decoding of media texts? Why is this significant? What is meant by audience resistance? Why should we be wary of overemphasizing it? Required reading from the class web site: Crouteau, D., & Hoynes, W. (1997). Active audiences and the construction of meaning. Media and society: Industries, images, audiences. Q: What is meant by the construction of meaning? Mastro, Dana & Behm-Morawitz, Elizabeth. (2005). Latino Representation on Prime Time. Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, 82(1). Q:What is cultivation theory? How do the authors cultivation use theory to explain the possible effects of Latino representation on media audiences? 5
Thurs, 6/26
Copyright 2008 Vanessa Au. Parts of this course were developed by Dr. Ralina Joseph and used with permission.
Optional Reading: Sender, Katherine. Selling Sexual Subjectivities: Audiences Respond to Gay Window Advertising. In Dines & Humez, pp. 302-313. Q: How does sexual identity affect how the audience members in this study interpret gay window advertising? What does this say about the effects of the media? Mon, 6/30 Day Five: Ideology and Hegemony Screening: bell hooks: Cultural Criticism & Transformation Required readings from the text: Hall, Stuart. The Whites of Their Eyes: Racist Ideologies and the Media. In Dines & Humez, pp. 89-93. Q: What does Hall mean by the term ideology? Why is it so powerful? What examples of stereotypes does Hall give, and how did they shape perceptions of reality? Lull, James. Hegemony. In Dines & Humez, pp. 61-66. Q: How does Lull define hegemony? Why are mass media so effective as tools of hegemony? Tues, 7/1 Day Six: Gendered Images and Products in Advertisements Screening: Killing Us Softly 3: Advertising's Image of Women Required readings from the text: Kilbourne, Jean. The More You Subtract, the More You Add: Cutting Girls Down to Size. In Dines & Humez, pp. 258-267. Q: How are girls put into a terrible double blind? What kinds of messages might girls get from advertising? How are women in advertisements silenced? Kirkham, Pat & Weller, Alex. Cosmetics: A Clinique Case Study. In Dines & Humez, pp. 268-273. Q: How are Clinique products gendered? What does this reflect about how our society differentiates between masculinity and femininity? Required reading from the class web site: OBarr, William. (2006). Representations of Masculinity and Femininity in Advertising. Advertising & Society Review, 7(2). Q: What are the different meanings conveyed by masculine versus feminine images? How are girls and boys represented differently in advertising? How are men and women represented differently? Wed, 7/2 Day Seven: Women, Gender Construction and Performance Screening: Media interrupted: The dissection of media in American culture Part 3: Sexual Stereotypes Required readings from the text: Rogers, Deborah D. Daze of Our Lives: The Soap Opera as Feminine Text. In Dines & Humez, pp. 476-481. Q: According to the author, how do soap operas reinforce male privilege and a patriarchal ideology? Does she see much potential for viewers to oppose or subvert that ideology? Byars, Jackie and Meehan, Eileen R. Once in a Lifetime: Constructing The Working Woman Through Cable Narrowcasting. In Dines & Humez, pp. 613-624. Q: What was womens programming like prior to the womens movement in the early 1970s? How have changes in womens employment affected television programming? What strategies does the Lifetime channel use to attract upscale female viewers without wholly alienating the upscale male audience? How does Lifetime manage to stay commercially viable? Optional reading: Lindsey, Karen. In Their Prime: Women in Nighttime Drama. In Dines & Humez, pp. 625632. Q: What criticisms does the author have of most television shows portray women? What does she like about the five shows that she reviews?
Copyright 2008 Vanessa Au. Parts of this course were developed by Dr. Ralina Joseph and used with permission.
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Thurs, 7/3
Day Eight: Progressive Women, Feminism and Girl Power Screening: Is feminism dead? (24 min) Or my feminism (55 min) We will talk about the midterm today Required Readings from the text: Zook, Kristal Brent. Living Single and The Fight for Mr. Right: Latifah Dont Play. In Dines & Humez, pp. 129-135. Q: How did network executives change the original concept for the show Living Single? How did the role played by Queen Latifah challenge the traditional role of women in television sitcoms, and how was the character made more palatable to mainstream audiences? Required reading from the class web site: Gonick, Marnina . (2006). Between "Girl Power" and "Reviving Ophelia": Constituting the Neoliberal Girl Subject. NWSA Journal, 18(2), p. 1. What are the characteristics of each archetype (girl power vs. reviving Ophelia)? Can you think of media examples of each? How do the two function together? Banet-Weiser, Sarah. (2004). Girls rule!: Gender, feminism, and Nickelodeon Critical Studies in Media Communication, 21(2), p. 119. Q: How does the mainstream embrace of girl power restabilize conventional categories of gender?
Mon, 7/7
Day Nine: Constructions of Masculinity Screening: Tough guise: violence, media, and the crisis in masculinity (85 min) Required readings from the text: Katz, Jackson. Advertising and the Construction of Violent White Masculinity: From Eminem to Clinque for Men. In Dines & Humez, pp. 349-358. Q: According to Katz, why is it important to pay attention to how white men are portrayed in the media? What themes did Katz find in advertisements portraying white masculinity? Butsch, Richard. Ralph, Fred, Archie, and Homer: Why Television Keeps Re-creating the White Male Working-Class Buffoon. In Dines & Humez, pp. 575-585. Q: How does the author define buffoon? Why does this stereotype of working-class men persist? How is this connected to our discussion of political economy? Day Ten: Gays and Lesbians in Entertainment Media: An Historical Perspective Screening: Off the Straight and Narrow Mini-Assignment #9: Go Post. Please post two possible media texts that you might examine for your final project. Which readings might you reference? Explain a bit about some of the ideas/arguments you have in mind. I will respond to your post and let you know if youre on track, and which topic I think might be a better choice. As usual, due midnight tonight. Required reading from the text: Hart, Kylo-Patrick R. Representing Gay Men on American Television. In Dines & Humez, pp. 597-607. Q: This reading describes how gay men were presented on three popular TV shows during the 1990s. What was positive about these representations, and what was problematic, according to Hart? Do you think the representation of gay men has changed significantly since then, or do you see some of the same patterns continuing today? What are Clarks 4 stages of media representation? Can you think of some TV examples for each stage? Do you think there are any stages missing? Raymond, Diane. Popular Culture and Queer Representation: A Critical Perspective. In Dines & Humez, pp.98-110. Q: What are the three recurring themes or tropes of queer representation in sitcoms as identified by Raymond? What is the significance of each? What is symbolic annihilation? Do popular TV shows featuring gay characters (such as Will & Grace)
Tues, 7/8
Copyright 2008 Vanessa Au. Parts of this course were developed by Dr. Ralina Joseph and used with permission.
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subvert the status quo or reinforce it, according to Raymond? According to the author, what are some ways in which Will & Grace is problematic? Wed, 7/9 Day Eleven: Lesbians and Gays on Television Screening: Further Off the Straight & Narrow: New Gay Visibility on Television, 1998-2006 Exam review today. Required reading in the text: Hubert, Susan J. Whats Wrong With This Picture: The Politics of Ellens Coming Out Party. In Dines & Humez, pp. 608-612. Q: What criticisms does Hubert have of Ellen Degeneres coming out episode? Do you agree with them? Gamson, Joshua. Sitting Ducks and Forbidden Fruits. In Dines & Humez, pp. 553-570. Q: Gamson argues that daytime talk shows are more open than primetime television in presenting gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender issues. Why does he think this is the case? How does the race of the experts, guests, and audiences on these talk shows affect what kind of ideology is espoused? Required reading from the class web site: Westerfelhaus, Robert & Lacroix, Celeste. (2006). Seeing Straight Through Queer Eye: Exposing the Strategic Rhetoric of Heteronormativity in a Mediated Ritual of Gay Rebellion. Critical Studies in Media Communication, 23(5), pp. 426-444. Q: What is heteronormativity? How is both challenged and reaffirmed in Queer Eye? Thurs, 7/10 Mon, 7/14 Day Twelve: Midterm Day Thirteen: Whiteness; Construction of Race Screening: Mirrors of privilege: Making whiteness visible Required reading from the class web site: Omi, Michael and Winant, Howard (1994). Racial Formation, Racial Formation in the United States: From the 1960s to the 1990s. Q: What do the authors mean when they argue that race is socially constructed? How does this differ from biological arguments about race? Culture Groove (2006). Robert Jensen and The Heart of Whiteness (Interview). Retrieved May 28, 2007, from http://www.culturegroove.com/2006/03/01/robert-jensen-and-the-heart-ofwhiteness. Q: How does Jensen respond to white people who deny their privilege? What are Jensens views on affirmative action and similar programs? McIntosh, Peggy (1988). White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack. Q: How does the author compare white privilege to male privilege? What is the myth of meritocracy? Optional reading: Song, Miri. (2004). Introduction: Who's at the bottom? Examining claims about racial hierarchy. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 27(6), pp. 859-877. Q: What are racial hierarchies? Why are many African Americans still relatively disadvantaged? (861) How are other ethnic minorities positioned in the hierarchy? What is racial triangulation? What factors are beginning to unsettle longstanding hierarchies in America? What is racial positionality and how is it useful in getting around problems with arguments about racial hierarchies? (873) Tues, 7/15 Day Fourteen: Race in Entertainment Screening: Race, the Floating Signifier: Featuring Stuart Hall. (85 min) Or The Slanted Screen (61 min.) Or Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies A People Or Hollywood Harems (24 min)
Copyright 2008 Vanessa Au. Parts of this course were developed by Dr. Ralina Joseph and used with permission.
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Required reading from the text: Sun, Chyng Feng. Ling Woo in Historical Context: The New Face of Asian American Stereotypes on Television. In Dines & Humez, pp. 656-664. Q: How is the character of Ling Woo on the TV show Ally McBeal both conform to Asian American stereotypes and break away from them? Why do you think this character had appeal to the American public? Zook, Kristal Brent. The Fox Network and the Revolution in Black Television. In Dines & Humez, pp. 586-596. Q: What prompted the Fox network to cancel the majority of its black productions in the 1990s? What are the differences between black-cast shows and blackproduced shows? Required reading from the class web site: Dubrofsky, Rachel. (2006). The Bachelor: Whiteness in the Harem. Critical Studies in Media Communication, 23(1), pp. 39-56. Q: What is Orientalism? What stereotypes and racial narratives are invoked in The Bachelor? Optional readings: Coleman, Robin R. Means. Black Sitcom Portrayals. In Dines & Humez, pp. 79-88. Q: What did black viewers find in black sitcoms that resonated with their own experiences? What aspects of the black sitcoms did they reject? Wed, 7/16 Day Fifteen: Performances and Appropriations of Race in Media, Advertising and Popular Culture Guest lecturer today Required reading from the text: Ghosh, Sanjukta. Con-fusing Exotica: Producing India in US Advertising. In Dines & Humez, pp., 274-281. Q: What is Orientalism? What is its function? How are Indians represented in advertising? How have Indian cultural practices and artifacts been appropriated? Can you think of some examples? What is the significance of this? Why is it problematic? Required reading from the class web site: Hess, Mickey. (2005). Hip-hop realness and the white performer. Critical Studies in Media Communication, 22(5), p. 372. Q: How did Vanilla Ices performance of hip hop differ from that of Eminem? Why did Vanilla Ice fail? How does authenticity relate to earlier discussions of whiteness? Optional reading: Clark, Elizabeth. Gwens Girl Trouble. The Fighting 44s. Q: How is Gwens use of Harajuku girls in her performances and marketing problematic? Can you think of other examples in which a minority culture is commodified and fetishized? Thurs, 7/17 Day Sixteen: Race and Gender in Childrens Media Screening: Mickey Mouse Monopoly Peer edit of papers. Bring at least 3 pages of your paper to class for peer editing Required reading from the text: Giroux, Henry A. Kids for Sale: Corporate Culture and the Challenge of Public Schooling. In Dines and Humez, pp. 171-175. Q: According to Giroux, why is corporate sponsorship in public schooling problematic? Required reading from the class web site: Lacroix, Celeste. (2004). Images of Animated Others: The Orientalization of Disney's Cartoon Heroines From The Little Mermaid to The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Popular
Copyright 2008 Vanessa Au. Parts of this course were developed by Dr. Ralina Joseph and used with permission.
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Communication, 2(4), 213-229. Q: How are Disney Heroines Orientalized? How are consumption and culture linked? Children Now: Diversity on TV and Why it Matters. Q: What is social learning theory? What effect might the absence of minority TV characters have on children? Why does diversity matter in childrens TV? Optional reading: Roberts, Ebony M. (2004). Through the eyes of a child: Representations of Blackness in childrens television programming. Race, Gender & Class, 11(2), p.130. Q: What messages about race and power might young viewers derive from watching the Power Rangers? In what way is the yellow ranger a token character? Why is the author particularly concerned about media effects on Power Rangers viewers? How is this related to the concept of coding/decoding? Mon, 7/21 Tues, 7/22 Wed, 7/23 Essay due Presentations Group One Presentations Group Two
Presentations Group Three
Copyright 2008 Vanessa Au. Parts of this course were developed by Dr. Ralina Joseph and used with permission.
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