Consistent attendance and active, informed participation in all class meetings. I will circulate an attendance sheet each day in class. Your signature on this sheet is factored into your overall evaluation for the course. Therefore, you must only sign for yourself. (10% of grade)
Online blog entries consisting of media images or news articles that relate to the topics under discussion. Please include a link to the relevant image, news article, or other media text, along with a brief commentary (3-4 sentences) about it on your blog. Please post a blog entry prior to Monday or Wednesday’s class once every other week. Additionally, your blog will serve as a space for you to post updates on your final project. (20% of grade)
Participation in online discussion of assigned primary and secondary sources. (These are separate from your journal entries.) You must post to the online discussion at least 6 times over the course of the semester. When posting, you need only answer one of the discussion questions. You must complete at least three of these discussion posts before mid-semester. Ideally, you would post approximately once every other week. Posts must be made at least 30 minutes prior to the class period in which the relevant materials are discussed. (15% of grade)
Film review essay due Friday, March 4: Write an essay (5-6 pages, double-spaced) about misogyny in one of the following post-World War II films:
| Double Indemnity (1944) Mildred Pierce (1945) Out of the Past (1947) Strangers on a Train (1951) |
Kiss Me Deadly (1955) Rebel without a Cause (1956) Vertigo (1958) |
Psycho (1960) The Manchurian Candidate (1962) Walk on the Wild Side (1962) |
How does the film’s portrayal of woman characters relate to the pathological constructions of postwar femininity that we studied in the first week of class? For those who are interested in cinematic elements of film, see John Michael Santos, “Cinematic Elements of Film.” (25% of grade)
Final Project due May 24 (full timeline of project work below): Each student will complete one of the following:
- A digital project utilizing ArcGIS StoryMaps, WordPress, or other digital platform. (Digital projects can be collaborative.)
- A traditional research paper (7-8 pages, double-spaced).
You will have the opportunity to develop your project in stages according to the following schedule:
- Topic statement, research questions, and preliminary bibliography, due Friday, April 8. We will discuss these in class on Wednesday, April 6.
- Post an important primary source to your blog on Sunday, April 16. Include a paragraph explaining its significance within the broader context of your project. We will discuss your primary sources in class on Monday, April 17.
- Post your project introduction and outline to your blog on Tuesday, May 3. We will discuss these in class on Wednesday.
- Check in on project work on Wednesday, May 11.
- Final project/essay is due no later than 5:00 PM on Tuesday, May 24. (30% of grade)
Possible topics include:
- The Hulu TV series, The Handmaid’s Tale (2017-), in relation to Margaret Atwood’s novel and to current events.
- Misogyny in one or more other contemporary media texts (film, TV show, podcast, social media platform, etc.)
- Representations of Kamala Harris, Nancy Pelosi, Maxine Waters, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar, Stacey Abrams, Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, Susan Collins, Marjorie Taylor-Greene, Sarah Palin, and/or other women politicians in relation to scholarship on misogyny in politics.
- The “Red Pill” movement and online misogyny.
- Misogyny’s intersection with ableism, heteronormativity, ageism, racism, or other system of oppression.
- Critique(s) of white feminism, second-wave feminism, or other mainstream feminist group by BIPOC feminists and/or LGBTQ activists.
- Current developments in reproductive politics and misogyny (with or without reference to The Handmaid’s Tale).
- Recent developments in relation to #MeToo and the politics of sexual harassment and violence.
- Misogyny in professional sports media and in portrayals of women athletes.
- Misogyny within a particular institution or context (e.g., the U.S. military, the healthcare system, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the prison system, etc.)
- Present-day mother-blaming.
- The gender wage gap.
- Misogyny in advertising and consumer culture.
- Misogyny in the fashion industry.
- Anita Hill and the Clarence Thomas Supreme Court confirmation hearings.
- Christine Blasey Ford and the Bret Kavanaugh Supreme Court confirmation hearings.
- Any other topic related to misogyny that interests you!