Universität Wien

124262 KO Critical Media Analysis (2019S)

Nasty Women on the Rise - Analysing Unruly Femininities in Contemporary US Culture

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

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. 30 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

Wednesday 13.03. 12:00 - 14:00 Raum 5 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-17
Wednesday 20.03. 12:00 - 14:00 Raum 5 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-17
Wednesday 27.03. 12:00 - 14:00 Raum 5 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-17
Wednesday 03.04. 12:00 - 14:00 Raum 5 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-17
Wednesday 10.04. 12:00 - 14:00 Raum 5 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-17
Wednesday 08.05. 12:00 - 14:00 Raum 5 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-17
Wednesday 15.05. 12:00 - 14:00 Raum 5 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-17
Wednesday 22.05. 12:00 - 14:00 Raum 5 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-17
Wednesday 29.05. 12:00 - 14:00 Raum 5 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-17
Wednesday 05.06. 12:00 - 14:00 Raum 5 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-17
Wednesday 12.06. 12:00 - 14:00 Raum 5 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-17
Wednesday 19.06. 12:00 - 14:00 Raum 5 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-17
Wednesday 26.06. 12:00 - 14:00 Raum 5 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-O1-17

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

After the successful completion of this course, students will be able to critically examine the construction of unruly femininities in contemporary US culture, as they will have learned how to appropriately use a toolbox of genre-specific methods of visual analysis (e.g. semiotic analysis, mis-en-scène analysis for moving images, etc.).

We will use Anne Helen Peterson’s insightful contribution to celebrity studies "Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud. The Rise and Reign of the Unruly Woman" (2017) as a course reader (that will be accompanied by other course readings), as it consists of a series of well-rounded ‘critical media analyses’, making explicit the norms of ‘appropriate femininity’ that usually remain hidden. The essays in the book are excellent examples of intersectionality theory put into practice - teaching students how to notice and scrutinise cultural markers of difference like race, gender, class, sexuality, body type, ability/health, and age in a variety of different media and contexts (in advertising, TV series, reality TV, the music business, sports, politics, comedy as well as on social media). By focussing on concepts like transgression, excess, and abjection, we will make the rules of 'acceptable femininity' visible and, therefore, assailable. By introducing students to key texts in gender studies, celebrity studies, body studies, as well as fat studies and providing them with a toolkit for visual analysis, students will be able to discuss contemporary femininities in an informed, intersectional way after they have completed this class.

Assessment and permitted materials

In-class and online participation, mid-term test, group project, scrapbook (i.e. a continuous course log incl. two short essays, weekly entries, your group project proposal, and an analysis of an example of 'unruly femininity' of your choice)

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

In-Class and Online Participation: 15 points
Mid-Term Test: 20 points
Group Project: 25 points
Scrapbook: 40 points (to be handed in until July 7th)

Overall Score of 100 Points.
Pass-Mark: 60 Points.

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

All of these four course requirements (in-class participation, mid-term test, group project and the scrapbook) need to be fulfilled! Not showing up for the presentation of your group project or not handing in the scrapbook equals dropping out of the course and being assessed with a negative grade!

You can miss two sessions.

Examination topics

Course readings and the concepts and vocabulary of Gender Studies, Celebrity Studies and Body Studies as well as Visual Analysis introduced in class.

Reading list

Readings will be made available on Moodle and there will be a "Handapparat" in the library for this class.

Of course, this is NOT OBLIGATORY, BUT: For those of you who want to get started on the course reader (Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud by Anne Helen Petersen) already, please get in touch! I ordered a copy for the library, but have also digitised the book and can share it! Just send me an email!

Other publications that will be considered:
- Kray, Christine A.; Carroll, Tamar W., and Hinda Mandell. Nasty Women and Bad Hombres. Gender and Race in the 2016 US Presidential Election. Boydell & Brewer, 2018.
- Mukhopadhyay, Samhita, and Kate Harding. eds. Nasty Women. Feminism, Resistance, and Revolution in Trump's America. Macmillan, 2017.
- Traister, Rebecca. Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women's Anger. Simon & Schuster, 2018.

Association in the course directory

Studium: UF 344, BA 612, BEd 046/407
Code/Modul: UF 4.2.5-426, BA07.3; BEd 08a.2, BEd 08b.1
Lehrinhalt: 12-4260

Last modified: Mo 07.09.2020 15:33