Lakehead University
Thunder Bay, Canada
Department of Women’s Studies
WS 2113 – Women, Popular Culture and Counter-Culture
Lecture: Tues & Thurs 10-11:30amInstructor: Dr. Chisholm
Location: TBAOffice number: RB2011
Office hours: Tues & Thurs 11:30am-1pm
E-mail:
Course Description
An interdisciplinary exploration of women, popular culture and resistance, this course examines the relationship between feminism, femininity and cultural texts such as films, television, music, blogs and social networking sites. The first part of the course will concentrate on the theoretical work which informs the relationship between popular culture and feminism/femininity, while the second part of the course will look more closely at how specific types of sexuality and femininity are encouraged, foreclosed, controlled and contested in popular culture.
Learning Objectives
In particular, students will be able to:
Orally and in writing, evaluate the social and scientific constructions of the body, including technology, beauty, sexuality, fitness, health, and questions of representation
Articulate feminist theoretical responses to the representation of young adult female sexuality in popular culture and develop their own perspectives on potential resistance
Develop a critical awareness of the assumptions underlying young women’s involvement with and representation in popular culture and how these assumptions are influenced by broader social, cultural, and racialized understandings of gender.
In addition, students will be expected to develop:
Written and oral communication skills
Research skills including the ability to evaluate and incorporate appropriate materials and examples into their work, and
The ability to work collaboratively and independently on projects through group assignments, presentations, class discussion, and written reports and essays.
Required Reading
Hollows, Joanne. (2000). Feminism, Femininity and Popular Culture. Manchester University Press.
*course text available in the campus bookstore, additional required reading will be posted on D2L.
Student Evaluation
Reading Questions and Participation 15%
Short Essay 20%
Culture Jam Group Project 35%
Final Exam30%
Description of Assignments
Reading Questions and Participation (15%, weeks as assigned and on-going)
Each student will prepare discussion questions based on readings for two assigned weeks over the course of the semester. Each question is due by 12 midnight the night before the class and will be submitted on D2L. Students will be called upon to present their discussion questions in class. All students should come to class with materials read and notes taken in order to be prepared to contribute to instructor- and student-led class discussion through questions, comments, and respectful attention.
Short Essay (20%)
This paper will take the form of a short, 1200 word/four- to six-page essay on the representation of women within an approved film, television series, or novel. Students are expected to introduce their selected media piece and offer a critique or analysis using course readings. Additional research from outside course material can be used but is not required.
Culture Jam Group Project (35%)
Students will be asked to produce a culture jam on a topic of their choosing. This could include (but is not limited to) performance art, postering, website creation, short film or artistic project. This assignment contains three parts: a creative production or culture jam, (15%) a written description of the culture jam, (15%) and a short presentation (5%).
Further, detailed instructions on each part of this assignment will be provided during the first two weeks of class. Groups will be formed in class, and you will be given some class time to work on your project. Keep in mind, however, that the nature of this project will require you to meet as a group outside of class time. It is up to individual groups to come up with a time and location that works for all members of the group. Presentations will take place in the last week of class.
Final Exam (30%)
Students will write a final exam for the course, based on material covered, during the final exam period.
A note on participation and discussions:
Discussions require that everyone participates (speaks and listens) in a meaningful and civil way. This applies to online discussion as well. Student are expected to participate and contribute via online discussion posts. While there will be lots of disagreements and debates, everyone is expected to participate in a way that is respectful to everyone in the class and their ideas. Please be aware that some of the material we are reading is of a sensitive nature. Some readings may be upsetting or disturbing. I ask that we all use respectful language and be sensitive of one another during our discussions.
Personal attacks, gender and racial slurs, disrespectful comments on ability or able-bodiness, or other such disrespectful behaviour will not be tolerated. Please keep in mind that this is a scholarly environment and professionalism is expected at all times. In this course we will deal with many sensitive issues and will encounter historical language no longer appropriate. Please be reminded that respect for the people we study and other students is essential to a productive discussion. Engaged listening is important. Disrespectful behaviour and/or comments about people in class or being studied will not be tolerated.
On Campus Help Available to Students:
Student Success Centre: Additional help regarding academic matters can be found at the Student Success Centre located in SC 0008 or phone 343-8018 or online at - HYPERLINK "
Student Accessibility Services: For assistance with accommodations for a disability, please visit Student Accessibility Services located in SC 0003 or phone 343-8047 or online at - HYPERLINK "
Student Health and Counselling Centre: For help with personal and/or medical issues, please visit the Student Health and Counselling Centre located in the University Centre 1007 (across from Security) or phone 343-8361 or online at - HYPERLINK "
Assignment Guidelines - General
Note: Assignments will also be discussed in class.
A Note on Submitting Assignments: All assignments must be submitted in hard copy (i.e. on paper) and stapled to ensure pages do not get lost. It is your responsibility to ensure that I receive your assignment. I prefer that you to hand in your assignment in class, but please do not interrupt the class to submit your paper. If, however, you cannot submit your assignment in class, please have it time and date stamped at security and slide it under my door. Email me to ensure that I have received your paper. Papers that get ‘lost’ will be penalized as if they were submitted late. Electronic submission of assignments (i.e. email) will not be accepted.
Late Policy: All assignments are due by 11:59pm on the due date indicated in the course outline. Assignments received after the due date will be penalized 5% per day. Requests for extensions must be made prior to the due date and will ONLY be given in extenuating circumstances and may require documentation (e.g. a doctor’s note). Extensions will not be granted where good time management skills could have avoided the problem; i.e. extensions will not be granted for students who have a number of assignments due at the same time during the semester or for students who have decided to take an overload of classes this semester.
Style and grammar: Marks are not directly deducted for poor writing style and grammar. However, you simply cannot achieve a good grade if the paper is difficult to read and the argument difficult to discern. It is essential to proofread.
Referencing: Assignments must be entirely your own work. If the exact words or phrases of another author are used they must be in quotation marks with an accompanying reference. Material that is paraphrased – that is, an idea from another author but put into your own words – must also be accompanied by a properly formatted citation. Please use appropriate style (either MLA or Chicago) and form in a consistent manner throughout the paper. References are essential and have four purposes. They indicate the source of the “quotations,” acknowledge the interpretations and ideas of others, provide authority for facts which might be challenged or result from the research of others, and point to other sources or interpretations of the same topic. In general, they acknowledge the use of another person’s ideas and are essential in avoiding plagiarism. Failure to provide adequate references constitutes plagiarism.
Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty:
Plagiarism is a serious academic offence. Presenting an idea, words or an exact phrase of another author as your own work constitutes plagiarism. All students are required to know what constitutes plagiarism and how to avoid it. If you have questions about what constitutes plagiarism you can consult the Lakehead University calendar available online at HYPERLINK " or the professor. All cases of plagiarism will be dealt with in accordance with the Code of Student Behaviour and Disciplinary Procedures approved by Senate and the Board of Governors. Other instances of Academic Dishonesty, including but not limited to double submission, purchasing of assignments (either online or from another student on campus), or copying of assignments will also dealt with in accordance to the University regulations on Academic Dishonesty. Students may obtain a copy of the “Code of Student Behaviour and Disciplinary Procedures” from the Office of the Registrar for more information. Please do your own work.
Class Schedule and Readings
Week 1 – Introduction
No reading for this week. Students are asked to visit the following website:
Week 2 –Feminism and Pop Culture
Zeisler, Andi. (2008). Pop and Circumstance: Why Pop Culture Matters.Feminism and Pop Culture. Berkeley: SEAL Studies.
Hollows, Joanne. Chapter 2 “Feminism, Cultural Studies and Popular Culture”.
Week 3 – Consumption and Material Culture
Hollows, Joanne. Chapter 6 “Consumption and Material Culture”.
Surken and Cartwright. Consumer Culture and Manufacturing of Desire.Practices of Looking: In Introduction to Visual Culture. pgs. 189-236.
Week 4 – Making Culture Jam
Sandlin and Milam. Mixing Pop (Culture) and Politics: Cultural Resistance, Culture Jamming and Anti Consumption Activism as Critical Public Pedagogy. Curriculum Inquiry. 38.2. pgs. 323-350.
Week 5 – Beauty and the Image Industry
Hollows, Joanne. Chapter 7 “Fashion and Beauty Practices”.
** additional reading to be added and posted on D2L
Week 6 – Sexualization: Objectification and Responsibility
Cossman, Brenda (2010). Sexing Citizenship, Privatizing Sex. Citizenship Studies, 6(4), 483-
506.
Polzer, Jessica and Knabe, Susan (2009). Good Girls Do…Get Vaccinated: HPV, mass marketing and moral dilemmas for sexually active young women. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 63(11), 869-870.
Week 7 – Queering Desire
Zavella, Patricia (2003). Talkin’ Sex: Chicanas and Mexicanas theorize about silences and sexual pleasures. In Gabriela Arredondo (Ed), Chicana Feminisms: A critical reader (pp. 228-253). London: Duke University Press.
Springer, Kimberly (2008). “Queering Black Female Heterosexuality”. In Jaclyn Friedman and Jessica Valenti (Eds), Yes Means Yes: Visions of Female Sexual Power and a World Without Rape (pp. 77-91). California: Seal Press.
Week 8 – Decoding the “Chick Flick”
Hollows, Joanne. Chapter 3. “Film Studies and the Woman’s Film”
**additional reading to be added and posted on D2L
Week 9 – Pop Fiction: Representations of Women in Novels
Hollows, Joanne. Chapter 4. “Reading Romantic Fiction”
**additional reading to be added and posted on D2L
Week 10 – (Pop) Cultural Appropriation
Chesney-Lind, Meda and Eliason, Michele (2006). From Invisible to Incorrigible: The Demonization of Marginalized Women and Girls. Crime Media Culture, 2(1), 29-47.
**additional reading to be added and posted on D2L
Week 11 – “Girls Gone Wild”: Bullying and Girl Gangs
Jiwani, Yasmin (1999). Erasing race: the story of Reena Virk. Canadian Woman Studies, 19(3), 178-84.
Chesney-Lind, Meda and Irwin, Katherine (2008). “Pathologizing Girls?: Relational Aggression and Violence Prevention”. In Beyond Bad Girls: Gender, Violence and Hype (pp. 107-128). New York: Routledge.
Week 12 – Pop Feminism!
Leblanc, Lauraine (1999). “‘I Bet a Steel Capped Boot Could Shut You Up’: Resistance to Public Sexual Harassment”. In Pretty in Punk: Girls’ Gender Resistance in a Boys’ Subculture (pp. 196- 217). New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press.
Hess, Amanda (Aug. 8 2014). The Rise of the Ironic Man-Hater. Slate.
Week 13 – Culture Jam Presentations and Course Wrap-Up
Students will present their Culture Jam projects to the class. And exam review will also be provided.
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