124184 VK BEd 08b.3: VK Cultural Studies and Language Education (2024S)

Critical Disability Studies and Popular Culture

5.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 12 - Anglistik

Continuous assessment of course work

Moodle

Fr 07.06. 12:15-13:45 Digital

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Registration is open from Mo 12.02.2024 00:00 to Mo 19.02.2024 12:00
Deregistration possible until Su 31.03.2024 23:59

Details

max. 25 participants

Language: English

Lecturers

Maria Katharina Wiedlack

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

There is no class on Friday, April 12th.
The class on Friday, May 17th will be held in an asynchronous format.
The class on Friday, June 7th will be held online via zoom.
There is no class on Friday, June 21st.

    
    Friday
    08.03.
    12:15 - 13:45
    Raum 3 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-13
    
    Friday
    15.03.
    12:15 - 13:45
    Raum 3 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-13
    
    Friday
    22.03.
    12:15 - 13:45
    Raum 3 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-13
    
    Friday
    19.04.
    12:15 - 13:45
    Raum 3 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-13
    
    Friday
    26.04.
    12:15 - 13:45
    Raum 3 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-13
    
    Friday
    03.05.
    12:15 - 13:45
    Raum 3 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-13
    
    Friday
    10.05.
    12:15 - 13:45
    Raum 3 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-13
    
    Friday
    17.05.
    12:15 - 13:45
    Hybride Lehre
Raum 3 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-13
    
    Friday
    24.05.
    12:15 - 13:45
    Raum 3 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-13
    
    Friday
    31.05.
    12:15 - 13:45
    Raum 3 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-13
    
    N
    Friday
    07.06.
    12:15 - 13:45
    Digital
    
    Friday
    14.06.
    12:15 - 13:45
    Raum 3 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-13
    
    Friday
    28.06.
    12:15 - 13:45
    Raum 3 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-13

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

Historically, people with disabilities have often been misrepresented or marginalized in popular culture. Stereotypical portrayals have perpetuated negative attitudes and discrimination and reinforced ableism. Movies, television shows, and other forms of fiction have portrayed people with disabilities as pitiable victims or objects of tragedy, helpless and dependent on others, reinforcing the idea that disability is a burden. In addition, people with disabilities have been portrayed as villains or monsters, using their disability as a metaphor for evil or to evoke fear in the audience. This undermined their humanity and reinforced prejudice. Another common portrayal was, and still is, the "superhero" narrative, in which disabled characters are portrayed as inspirational heroes who triumph over their disabilities to serve as examples for non-disabled people. While intended to inspire, these portrayals often overlooked the reality and complexity of disability. Disability was used as a source of humor, with disabled characters portrayed as the butt of jokes or comic relief. This reinforced harmful stereotypes and perpetuated a sense of superiority.
In recent years, however, there have been efforts to challenge these representations and promote positive and diverse portrayals of people with disabilities in popular culture. Movies and TV shows have begun to include more characters with disabilities in recent years. Movies like "The Theory of Everything" and TV shows like "Speechless," "Breaking Bad," and "Switched at Birth" feature complex characters with disabilities with interesting and non-stereotypical storylines. More opportunities have opened up for disabled actors to portray characters with disabilities. In addition, online platforms and social media have provided a way for people with disabilities to bring attention to their experiences and advocate for inclusivity. People with disabilities can share their stories, challenges, and successes to raise awareness and promote understanding.

Aims
In this course, students will learn how to critically analyze historical and contemporary examples of disability storytelling in popular culture across a variety of media. We will discuss positive and negative representations of disability, explore different forms of disability storytelling, and examine approaches that aim to deconstruct heteronormative ablebodiedness and ableism.
Students will acquire important methodological tools and theories on disability on the intersection of gender, race and other vectors of oppression that will allow them to systematically analyze popular culture productions.
Students will be assisted in developing relevant research questions for their paper or BEd theses that use basic methodology and theoretical background.

Assessment and permitted materials

Regular attendance (max. 2 absences); class participation, moderating a group discussion, a group presentation, and minor tasks throughout the semester; Students can either write a short paper or a BEd thesis. If the students intend to write a BEd thesis, they have to submit a research proposal in advance.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Class participation, and minor tasks throughout the semester (25%)
proposal and annotated bibliography, and presentations (25%)
BA thesis or small research paper (50%)
You need to complete all requirements to complete the course.
The overall grading scheme is (1): 100-91%, (2): 90-81%, (3): 80-71%, (4): 70-60%, (5): 59-0%

Examination topics

All students must present in class and participate in the class discussions and in group work. Everyone is welcome to use PPP to support their presentations, use Moodle apps, show video and audio examples, and bring printed materials.

Reading list

Goodley, Dan. Disability Studies: An Interdisciplinary Introduction. Los Angeles / London / New Delhi: SAGE, 2011, p. 1-10.
Bê, Ana. “Feminism and disability: A cartography of multiplicity,” in Watson, Nick and Simo Vehmas. Routledge Handbook of Disability Studies. Second Edition, Routledge, 2020, p. 421-436.
Hunt, Xanthe. “Disability and sexuality,” in in Watson, Nick and Simo Vehmas. Routledge Handbook of Disability Studies. Second Edition, Routledge, 2020, p. 436-452.
Stienstra, Deborah. “Race/ethnicity and disability studies: Towards an explicitly intersectional approach,” in in Watson, Nick and Simo Vehmas. Routledge Handbook of Disability Studies. Second Edition, Routledge, 2020, p. 453-466.
McDonald, Donna. “Visual narratives: contemplating the storied images of disability and disablement 36 Donna McDonald,” in Hadley, Bree, and Donna McDonald, eds. The Routledge Handbook of Disability Arts, Culture, and Media. 1st ed. New York: Routledge, 2018, p. 36-47.
McRuer, Robert. “Compulsory Able-Bodiedness and Queer/Disabled Existence.” Disability Studies: Enabling the Humanities. Ed. Rosemarie Garland-Thomson, Brenda Jo Brueggemann, and Sharon L. Snyder. New York: MLA Publications, 2002. 88-99.
Rieger, Janice and Megan Strickfaden. “Dis/ordered assemblages of disability in museums,” in Hadley, Bree, and Donna McDonald, eds. The Routledge Handbook of Disability Arts, Culture, and Media. 1st ed. New York: Routledge, 2018, p. 48-61.
Misener, Laura, Kerri Bodin, and Nancy Quinn. “Paralympics, para-sport bodies, and legacies of media representation,” in Hadley, Bree, and Donna McDonald, eds. The Routledge Handbook of Disability Arts, Culture, and Media. 1st ed. New York: Routledge, 2018, p. 74-86.
Kempe, Andy. “Beauty and the Beast: providing access to the theatre for children with autism,” in Hadley, Bree, and Donna McDonald, eds. The Routledge Handbook of Disability Arts, Culture, and Media. 1st ed. New York: Routledge, 2018, p. 89-99.
Ellis, Katie. “Changing representations of disability in children’s toys as popular culture,” in Hadley, Bree, and Donna McDonald, eds. The Routledge Handbook of Disability Arts, Culture, and Media. 1st ed. New York: Routledge, 2018, p. 297-309.
Thorn, Jessey, “Ryan O'Connell on Netflix's 'Special,'” NPR, June 10, 2022, “https://www.npr.org/2022/06/09/1103950589/ryan-oconnell-on-netflixs-special
Ben Ayoun, Emma. “Cinemas of Isolation, Histories of Collectivity: Crip Camp and Disability Coalition: LeBrecht, Jim, and Nicole Newnham, Directors. Crip Camp . Produced by Good Gravy Films & Higher Ground Productions, 2020; Color, 106 Mins. Distribution: Netflix.” Visual Anthropology 35, no. 2 (March 15, 2022): 196–200. https://doi.org/10.1080/08949468.2022.2063675.

TV-shows and Films
O'Connell, Ryan “Special” Netflix, 2019-2021.
“Dis Education Flipping The Script on Viewing Disability (ASL),” Lachi Music, Youtube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6j_0DMGVXE8
JoVonn, Jeroslyn. “Meet Lachi, The Blind Founder of The New Disability Advocacy Group for The Music Industry,” Black Enterprise (Online), January 26, 2022, https://www.proquest.com/docview/2755180143?parentSessionId=xityiBpjR6cv638U%2F0b3F8hj2Xrr%2BG41UsvRtU9Cp%2FI%3D&pq-origsite=primo&accountid=14682&sourcetype=Magazines
Lebrecht, James and Nicole Newnham. Crip Camp, documentary, Netflix 2020.

Association in the course directory

Studium: BEd 046/407
Code/Modul: BEd 08b.3
Lehrinhalt: 12-4686

UF EN 08b Advanced Cultural Studies and Literature (Alternative Compulsory Module) (16 ECTS)

Bachelor Teacher Training Programme: English (193 046, 198 407) ➡ Advanced Knowledge and Competences (48 ECTS)

Last modified: We 13.03.2024 11:06