WOM 203: Women in Popular Culture (3 Credits) Spring 2012
Professor Ellyn Lem
T/TH 1:00-2:15 p.m. N050
Office: W135 262-521-5478
Office Hours: T/TH 8:10-9:10 a.m., TH 12-1 p.m. and by appointment; if office
hours must be cancelled due to a conflict, I will try to schedule additional times to be
available
elem@uwc.edu
Course Description
In this course, we will examine ways women have been portrayed and are
currently portrayed in the media, in television and movies, popular music, internet, print
sources like magazines, popular fiction, and newspapers, and other cultural phenomena.
With readings ranging from critical theory to scholarly articles by and about women, we
will speculate on 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, 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.
Course Objectives
*Define popular culture, and how it is written, talked about, and experienced
*Critically analyze popular culture and its significance
*Become familiar with how women have been represented in popular culture and
how they have represented themselves
*Understand the scholarly and theoretical conversations that have been and are
currently happening about cultural studies and women’s place within it
*Examine the cultural construct of race, ethnicity, and other social categories in
American popular culture
Required Texts and Materials
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A number of readings on D2L (http://d2l.uwc.edu) and some money to print
those readings for class. I suggest you keep them in a binder and perhaps make
arrangements to share with someone in class. You will need to have the
readings available during class.
A popular young adult novel (more information to come about this in class)
Feminism and Popular Culture by Andi Zeisler
Requirements
*Mini-Papers (3 page minimum)-30% (15% each)
These short essays will give you an opportunity to apply some of the ideas in our
scholarly readings to various cultural works. Assignments to follow and they will be
posted on D2L. For each short paper, you will use some material from one of our
readings along with performing your own analysis on an appropriate text. You can
choose to do two out of three.
*Oral Presentation-15%
Early on in the semester, everyone in class will select either one of our readings or
another topic that could fit under one of our units (see the syllabus headings).
For the presentations, which will be done with other group members, you will need to
prepare several thought-provoking discussion questions, one possible in-class writing
assignment, and some visual or audio component (a clip, a cartoon, song, etc.) to keep
the class engaged. At some point, be prepared to discuss the significance of your
article or topic. You will need to turn in a written version of your presentation on the
assigned day for me to evaluate it. Try to keep the presentation to ten minutes in
length. Presentations cannot be “made up” if you are absent. More specific
instructions can be found on D2L.
*Final Examination-30%
The exam mostly will be essay and short answer. It will cover terms, the readings, and
in-class discussion primarily.
*In-class Assignments-15%
Not only am I writing teacher who believes in giving students every opportunity to
work on their written expression, I also recognize that writing is a way to help people
think through complex issues as opposed to just discussing a topic right away. Of
course, I am interested, too, in knowing who is keeping up with the reading and want
to give you incentive to read out assignments. You should expect, then, some kind of
written assignment (otherwise known as “quiz”) most days. Sometimes the quiz
might be from a student’s oral presentation, or it will be of my own devising. You
have been warned!
*Good Citizenship-10%
Everyone will start with a full 100 points with the assumption that you all will work to
create a respectful class environment. However, any of the following actions will result
in a five point reduction: using an electronic device in class (e.g., texting, Facebook
during class), coming to class five minutes after it has begun or leaving class early
without notification, flagrant rudeness and/or disrupting class in any other way.
On the positive side, regular active participation in class will result in your final grade
being raised to the next grade (e.g., B- to a B). Keep in mind, though, that active
participation does not mean talking all the time; it also means active listening, responding
to others’ comments in a thoughtful manner, and/or putting in extra effort outside of class
by coming in to office hours with questions and comments.
My grading scale:
100-93 A
92-90 A89-88 B+
87-83 B
82-80 B79-78 C+
77-73 C
72-70 C69-68 D+
67-63 D
62-60 D59 or below F
Attendance: You must come to class each time, prepared by having done the reading and
taken notes, in order to succeed in this course. If you must miss a class, please find out
from another student what you may have missed in addition to the material that we
covered that day according to the syllabus. You are allowed 3 unexcused absences
before your final grade will be lowered. Each absence after that will lower the final
grade by a letter grade. Missing 6 classes without an excused absence will result in
failing the course. Also keep in mind that in-class assignments cannot be “made up” if
you are not in class. Excused absences are considered religious holidays and documented
medical visits.
Students with Disabilities: Please let me know if you have disabilities that need special
accommodation. I would be happy to work with you in conjunction with Judy Becker of
Student Services
Academic Honesty: The Board of Regents, administrators, faculty, academic staff and
students of the University of Wisconsin system believe that academic honesty and
integrity are fundamental to the mission of higher education and the University of
Wisconsin system. The University has a responsibility to promote academic honesty and
integrity and to develop procedures to deal effectively with instances of academic
dishonesty. Students are responsible for the honest completion and representation of
their work, for the appropriate citation of sources, and for respect for others’ academic
endeavors. Students who violate these standards must be confronted and must accept the
consequences of their actions.
Assessment: The UW Colleges-wide assessment program was established to enhance the
quality and effectiveness of the curriculum, programs, and services of the institution. The
institution-wide assessment activities focus on analytical, quantitative, communication,
and aesthetic skills because they are of primary importance in the general education of
our students. This semester, students in all women's studies courses will be assessed on
analytical skills. We will also conduct an assessment of student learning specific to the
discipline of women's studies.
Schedule
Week One: Introduction to the course
TU 1/24 Learn about the course; brainstorm oral presentation topics besides
syllabus readings; demonstrate D2L; look at “Fear of Femininity: Why Young
Women Get the Willies”
TH 1/26 Have read Chapter One in Feminism and Popular Culture (FPC); in
class, discuss important feminist theory terms
TU 1/31 Have read Chapter Two and Three in FPC
TH 2/2 Have read Chapters Four and Five in FPC
The Visual Spectacle: Television and Film
TU 2/7 Have read “What’s Wrong with Cinderella?” (D2L under
“Cinderella”)
TH 2/9 Have read “You Go Girl” (D2L)
TU 2/14 Have read “This Tween Bridge Over My Latina Girl Back” (D2L)
TH 2/16 Watch the original Swedish film, Girl With a Dragon Tattoo
(readings on the film TBA)
TU 2/21 Finish watching the film and discussion
Popular Music, Music Culture, and Performance
TH 2/23 Have read “The Naval, the Corporate, the Contradictory: Pop Sirens
at the Twenty-first Century” (D2L); in class, discuss “The Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame’s Women Problem” (D2L)
TU 2/28 In class, watch part of Dreamworlds 3: Desire, Sex and Power in
Music Video and Bro Code; have read “Swift Judgment” (on Taylor Swift) and
“Sass and Cadence” (on Pink) both D2L; Mini-paper on Film/TV due
TH 3/1 Have read “Woman to Woman: Building Solidarity in African
American Female Comedy” and “Do Bitches Get Stuff Done” (on Tina Fey) (D2L)
Print Media--Magazines, Fiction, Newspapers, Comic Books
TU 3/6 Have read “The Personal is Political: Women’s Magazines for the
‘I’m-Not-a-Feminist-But’ Generation” (D2L) and “Sex R Us” (D2L)
TH 3/8 Have read “Battled in Every Man’s Bed: Playboy. . . .” (D2L)
TU 3/13 Have read “Reading Wonder Woman’s Body” (D2L); discuss
presentation of a popular young adult novel featuring a central female protagonist
TH 3/15 Have read the “Nancy Drew” article from American Sweethearts
Spring Break—Enjoy!!
TU 3/27 and TH 3/29: Presentations on young adult novels
Material Culture (Toys, Games, Technology, and Other Consumables)
TH 3/29 Have read “Little Hotties” on the Bratz dolls (D2L)
TU 4/3 Have read “’It’s a Girl Thing’: Tough Female Action Figures
in the Toy Store” (D2L) and “Half Baked” (D2L); Mini-paper on
Music or Print Media is due
TH 4/5 Watch Game Over: Gender, Race and Violence in Video Games in
class and have read “Girls Gaming and Trajectories of IT Experience” (D2L)
TU 4/10 Have read “Progression on Nickelodeon? Gender-role Stereotypes
in Toy Commercials”(D2L)
TH 4/12 No class. . . I will be at the National Pop Culture Association
Conference in Boston. . . . promise to bring back something for the class!
Advertising and Marketing
TU 4/17 Have read “Madison Avenue Versus The Feminine Mystique” and
“Narcissim as Liberation” (both D2L)
TH 4/19 In class, study advertisements from different periods.
TU 4/24 View the documentary Killing Us Softly 4
TH 4/26 Have read a selection from Provocateur (D2L) on images of women
and minorities in advertising
Food Feminism?
TU 5/1 Have read “Democratainment: Gender, Class, and the RachelMartha Continuum” (D2L)
TH 5/3 Have read “Bootylicious: Food and the Female Body in
Contemporary Black Pop Culture” (D2L)
TU 5/8 Prepare for the final in class and create a study guide
Final Exam: Friday, May 11 1-3 p.m.; Mini-paper on Material
Culture/Advertising is due