Universität Wien

120691 PS Proseminar Cultural and Media Studies (2021W)

Keeping Up With...: Familial Ties, Kinship and Fame in North American Cultures

5.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 12 - Anglistik
Continuous assessment of course work
REMOTE

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).

Details

max. 20 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, this class will be held ONLINE. It will mainly follow a synchronous setup (e.g. via Moodle-supported live-conferencing applications or Zoom) each week at the scheduled time of class. In order to be able to actively participate in class, it is necessary for you to have functioning speakers and a microphone (ideally a headset). You will also need a camera to turn on in each session. If synchronous online participation does not work at all for you, please contact me ahead of registering so we can see how you can participate otherwise.
More details will be given in the first session. If you have any specific questions ahead of signing up, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me (eva.schoergenhuber@univie.ac.at).

  • Tuesday 05.10. 10:15 - 11:45 Digital
  • Tuesday 12.10. 10:15 - 11:45 Digital
  • Tuesday 19.10. 10:15 - 11:45 Digital
  • Tuesday 09.11. 10:15 - 11:45 Digital
  • Tuesday 16.11. 10:15 - 11:45 Digital
  • Tuesday 23.11. 10:15 - 11:45 Digital
  • Tuesday 30.11. 10:15 - 11:45 Digital
  • Tuesday 07.12. 10:15 - 11:45 Digital
  • Tuesday 14.12. 10:15 - 11:45 Digital
  • Tuesday 11.01. 10:15 - 11:45 Digital
  • Tuesday 18.01. 10:15 - 11:45 Digital
  • Tuesday 25.01. 10:15 - 11:45 Digital

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

In 2017, Kendall Jenner stated the following in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar: “I don't think of it as 'The Kardashians' in quotes. I think of it as my family.” This and anything revolving around ‘The Kardashians’ illustrates the intersection of family life with the limelight: it constitutes the celebrity’s familial ties as well as we the family as a product to consume. More generally, families such as The Kardashian, The Rockefellers, fictional depictions of families like The Brady Bunch as well as Taylor Swift’s friendship squad represent forms of kinship which shape the celebrity world while having an influence on dominant ideas about belonging in society.

In this class, we will critically analyze famous kinship bonds from familial blood ties such as the first family of the United States to famous friendships like Taylor Swift’s squad from a celebrity studies and (critical) kinship studies perspective. Discussing concepts and ideas such as fame, parasocial relationships, critical kinship as well as community and the queering of kinship will help us understand the complex interrelations of kinship relations within the celebrity world and beyond. We will trace the historical development of kinship in North America, explore the context of production of specific cultural texts and understand them in relation to – among other things – the myth of the nuclear family and belonging in the US and North America in general. Further primary examples we will be examining include old money families such as the Hiltons, fictional representations of famous families (e.g. The Simpsons), online representations of family (e.g. The ACE Family), or queer family making (Neil Patrick Harris’ family).

At the end of this course, students will be able to critically analyze and queer cultural texts in American popular culture with methods such as visual and discourse analysis and close reading. Students will also have gained a theoretical understanding through readings from the field of (critical) kinship studies, celebrity studies, media studies, and American studies. Furthermore, students will learn how to conceptualize, research, and write academic texts such as a paper proposal and a proseminar paper.

Assessment and permitted materials

The assessment will be based on in-class and preparatory participation, an expert group session, a research proposal and a proseminar paper.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

In-class and preparatory participation (e.g. active in-class participation, forum posts, peer review task): 15%
Expert group session: 20%
Research proposal (700 words +/-10%) with annotated bibliography: 15%
Proseminar paper (3500 words +/-10%, word count excluding bibliography): 50%
Overall Score of 100%, pass-mark 60%

Scale:
1: 100-90%
2: 89-80%
3: 79-70%
4: 69-60%
5: 59-0%

In order to pass, you need to fulfill each individual requirement and complete tasks on time. Late submissions cannot be accepted. You can miss two classes.
The plagiarism detection software Turnitin will be used on most written assignments (research proposal, proseminar paper).

Examination topics

Everything that has been covered in class (primary and secondary readings). For some tasks you will have to do additional research.
There will be no written exam.

Reading list

You will have to watch a maximum of two episodes of 2-3 selected TV shows, including Keeping Up With The Kardashians (2006-2021). You will also have to do weekly researches on primary examples (e.g. The Hiltons).
All readings will be made available on Moodle.

Association in the course directory

Studium: BA 612;
Code/Modul: BA09.1;
Lehrinhalt: 12-4040

Last modified: Fr 12.05.2023 00:16