WOM 203:Women in Popular Culture
Class times: T/TH 3pm-4:15pm
Dr. Amy Reddinger
phone: 715-735-4321
location: L-101
office: L-115
amy.reddinger@uwc.edu
Office Hours:
Mon & Wed, 2:30-3:30; Tue & Thur, 10:45-11:45; and by appointment
Catalog Course Description:
In this course, we will examine ways women have been portrayed and are currently portrayed in the media,
television and movies, popular music, internet, print sources like magazines, popular fiction, and newspapers,
among other cultural phenomena. With readings ranging from critical theory to popular fiction by and about
women, we will speculate about the impact of and source for popular portrayals of women and what they might
be telling us about women’s roles in society. Issues of race, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, age, and physical
ability will be important as we explore and critically examine the forms and functions of women in popular
culture. This course fulfills the HU (Humanities) and ES (ethnic studies) designation for the Associate of Arts and
Sciences degree at UW-Marinette.
What is “Women’s Studies”? And other information about
this class…
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Women’s Studies is an interdisciplinary field of study – combining areas
such as sociology, political science, economics, biology, history and
literature – to focus on the conditions of women’s lives in the
contemporary world. Central to Women’s Studies as a discipline is the
belief that women’s lives are culturally different from men’s lives and
that these differences matter; the material, biological, social, and
political conditions of women’s lives have been historically ignored by
the production of mainstream knowledge and power. In other words:
the realities of women’s lives are important and not enough time and
attention has been given to thinking about the issues that surround and
define them.
What will we do in this class? …
This class is dedicated to the reading and analysis of popular culture
through a feminist/women’s studies lens. This means that you are
going to do a lot of reading of theoretical and historical texts and a lot of pop-cultural investigation (meaning
watching, listening, playing, etc.). The readings will include a range of popular culture critique, feminist and
cultural studies theory, and even some young adult literature. The reading is challenging: you will like some of it,
and you will find some articles really difficult. I strongly encourage you to take a lot of reading notes to help you
process the information.
Required Texts: Available at the UW-M bookstore
-
Feminism and Pop Culture by Andi Zeisler
Fearless, Francine Pascal
Bitch: a feminist response to popular culture
Lecture and Discussion. This class will include some lectures during which I present key information central to
understanding the historical period, the theoretical framework, or the cultural mediums important to our current
discussions. It is expected that you be always prepared to take notes, as I do not often use power point for my
lectures.
Following a feminist pedagogical approach that values what ALL classroom participants have to say (not just
the teacher), you will be partly responsible for making the classroom work. I will begin class discussion with
questions, overview of ideas, or multimedia clips to get us started. You will then be part of a discussion of the
ideas and questions brought up by the readings. A note about language and heated discussion: we are going to
talk about all kinds of important issues in this class including but not limited to sex, sexuality, religion, abuse,
marriage, money, rape, and politics. It is important to keep in mind that words have a lot of power and it is
important, given the focus on the valuable and diverse experiences of all members of the classroom community,
that we respect each other even if we do not agree. This means that it is not okay to target, make fun of, or attack
someone for differing beliefs or identities. I ask you to be deeply thoughtful listeners and speakers. Your
thoughtful and respectful participation in class discussion will be reflected in your classroom community grade.
Course Objectives:
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After taking any course in women's studies, students will
 understand the nature and function of the gender system
 understand the historical meanings of patriarchy and be able to identify and analyze
patriarchal systems in the modern world.
 understand interlocking systems of oppression (or dominance and subordination) in
American society, and articulate the ways that gender, race, class, and other social
categories intersect, sometimes to oppress, sometimes to grant power and privilege.
After taking this course in women’s studies:
 Define popular culture, and how it is written, talked about, and experienced
 Critically analyze multiple forms and media of popular culture and its significance
 Become familiar with how women have been represented in popular culture and how
they have represented themselves
Guidelines for Productive Class Discussion
1. listen carefully
2. think carefully and thoroughly
3. don’t interrupt
4. make sure your contribution is
relevant
5. if it is, speak up even if it is scary
6. speak up even if you aren’t sure
you are right
7. write down your thoughts as
they come to you
8. ask follow-up questions
9. connect your ideas to the
readings or to prior discussions
10. do not dominate the
conversation – make sure
everyone gets heard
Attendance: Our class is primarily discussion based; being in class, with the reading done, ready to
participate in discussion is absolutely essential to success in this course. Students should plan to attend
every class meeting. Work done in class cannot be made up unless serious circumstances present
themselves. Excessive absenteeism will adversely affect your final citizenship grade. Anything more than
two absences (one week of class) is considered excessive. Attendance and in-class work, activities, and
discussion make up a significant percentage of the course total (15%), so poor performance in these areas
has a very significant impact on your final grade: make every effort to be here on time and in class, with
work completed, every day!
Graded Work
Another significant portion of your work in this class will fall under the category of learning activities
and quizzes. In addition to homework and quizzes, you will also have a midterm and a final exam
comprised of multiple choice, fill in the blank, and short essay questions. These exams are intended to
assess your understanding of the material and will also ask you to apply the theories, principles, and
ideas from the text. Finally, there will also be a final paper (with a proposal due mid-semester) in which
you analyze a popular cultural phenomenon of your choice.
Grade Distribution
Classroom Community
Learning Activities & Reading Quizzes
15%
25%
Midterm Exam
Final Exam
Final Paper
20%
20%
20%
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
Grade Equivalents
94-100%
92-93%
90-91%
86-89%
84-85%
82-83%
78-81%
76-77%
74-75%
70-73%
68-69%
67% and below
Study Partners: Early in the semester, we will set up study partnerships. Your partner will be
responsible for providing detailed notes and handouts for you if you are absent, but it is your
responsibility to contact your partner if you are absent. He or she will just gather handouts and take notes
for you. List the contact information below.
Partner Name ________________
phone number __________________________
Email __________________________
Backup Partner Name ____________ phone number __________________________
Email __________________________
Students with Disabilities: If you have a physical or learning disability that requires
accommodations, please contact me at the beginning of the semester so we can make proper
arrangements. Even if you are not sure that your disability will influence your performance in
this class, it may be good for me to know in advance so we can troubleshoot challenges that
may arise.
Academic Dishonesty (AKA: Plagiarism): Very simply, plagiarism is when you claim someone
else’s work as your own. It is very important to ALWAYS acknowledge when you are
referencing or quoting another person’s ideas or words.
If you choose not to credit other people’s ideas and words, this could is PLAGIARISM.
Plagiarism constitutes grounds for failure of the assignment in question, possible failure of the
course, or even suspension from the University. An incident of plagiarism goes on your UW
transcript. If you are unsure about what constitutes plagiarism or need help putting things
into your own words, please come see me, during office hours, before or after class, or
contact me via e-mail.
If you turn in a paper that has even a few sentences that have been taken from another
source without citation, I will give you a failing grade for the paper with no opportunity for
revision.