120155 PS Interdisciplinary Course (501) = Proseminar Cultural Studies (2011S)
Masculinities and Visual Culture: Saturday Night at the Movies and Gender Studies
Continuous assessment of course work
Labels
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 07.02.2011 00:00 to Su 20.02.2011 23:59
- Registration is open from We 23.02.2011 00:00 to Tu 01.03.2011 23:59
- Deregistration possible until Th 31.03.2011 23:59
Details
max. 30 participants
Language: English
Lecturers
Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N
- Monday 07.03. 18:00 - 20:00 Raum 5 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-17
- Monday 21.03. 18:00 - 20:00 Raum 5 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-17
- Monday 28.03. 18:00 - 20:00 Raum 5 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-17
- Monday 04.04. 18:00 - 20:00 Raum 5 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-17
- Monday 11.04. 18:00 - 20:00 Raum 5 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-17
- Monday 02.05. 18:00 - 20:00 Raum 5 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-17
- Monday 09.05. 18:00 - 20:00 Raum 5 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-17
- Monday 16.05. 18:00 - 20:00 Raum 5 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-17
- Monday 23.05. 18:00 - 20:00 Raum 5 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-17
- Monday 30.05. 18:00 - 20:00 Raum 5 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-17
- Monday 06.06. 18:00 - 20:00 Raum 5 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-17
- Monday 20.06. 18:00 - 20:00 Raum 5 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-17
- Monday 27.06. 18:00 - 20:00 Raum 5 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-17
Information
Aims, contents and method of the course
In this seminar we will look at the intersection of gender studies and visual culture via a focus on the representation of masculinities in popular movies made in Hollywood since the 1990s.Working on a selection of readings, we will familiarize ourselves with relevant theory regarding the construction of masculinity as gender in and by popular cinema. We will pay particular attention to Laura Mulvey's and Steve Neale's work on the 'male gaze'; to the notion of performativity in its most influential formulation by Judith Butler; and on more recent work on spectatorship in popular cinema. In addition, we will read a selection of critical texts in film studies and cultural studies which, applying these theoretical models, have analyzed Hollywood genres and movies for their constructions of masculinities, esp. on the action cinema (e.g. Bruce Willis in the Die Hard series, 1988-2007), on 'hard body' movies of the 1980s and 1990s (Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger), on authenticity in (anti-)war movies (such as Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan, 1998, or more recently, Kathryn Bigelow's The Hurt Locker, 2008), but also recent work on masculinity and melodrama (as in Clint Eastwood's Mystic River, 2003) and female masculinity (e.g. Kimberly Peirce's Boys Don't Cry, 1999, and Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby, 2004).Most importantly, we will put theory to practice by watching and discussing in detail selected excerpts from these exemplary movies, not only to analyze these for their representations of hegemonic or alternative masculinities, but also to test and critique the theoretical notions as well as the critical reviews and analyses we are working with. Doing so, we will arrive at questions such as, are the masculinities represented always necessarily nostalgic and politically conservative? Who has a what kind of vested interest in saying that they are not and that they are? How ambiguous or even problematic is the pleasure we invest as spectators, or even fans, of such movies? What happens when this pleasure enters the classroom? What is at stake critically when we 'study' the 'representation of masculinity' in popular movies?
Assessment and permitted materials
Attendance, active participation, completion of reading and writing assignments, oral presentation, and a term paper.
Minimum requirements and assessment criteria
Examination topics
Reading list
A selection of relevant essays and excerpts from books will be made available in a reader.
Association in the course directory
Studium: Diplom 343, UF 344, BA 612;
Code/Modul: 501, 701, BA13;
Lehrinhalt: 12-0111
Code/Modul: 501, 701, BA13;
Lehrinhalt: 12-0111
Last modified: Mo 07.09.2020 15:33