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Unit outline_

WMST6903: Gender, Media and Consumer Societies

Semester 1, 2023 [Normal day] - Remote

This unit examines theories of consumption in regards to cultural and media products and practices, with a specific focus on gender. Drawing upon a wide range of feminist media and cultural theories, we will critically analyse different forms of belonging and identity that are created through these practices. We will also pay close attention to the critiques of globalisation and consumption, theories of the 'citizen consumer' and the realities of geo-political and economic inequalities that underpin many forms of consumption.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit Gender and Cultural Studies
Credit points 6
Prerequisites
? 
None
Corequisites
? 
None
Prohibitions
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator Anthea Taylor, anthea.taylor@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s) Vivien Nara, vivien.nara@sydney.edu.au
Jia Guo, jia.guo@sydney.edu.au
Franky Ferrer-Best, francesca.ferrer-best@sydney.edu.au
Meihua Lu, meihua.lu@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Assignment Research essay
Essay
40% Formal exam period
Due date: 05 Jun 2023 at 23:59
2500 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Participation Participation
n/a
10% Ongoing n/a
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO6 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2
Assignment Group presentation
Short answer
15% Ongoing 500 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO3 LO2
Assignment Advertising analysis
Written task
25% Week 06
Due date: 27 Mar 2023 at 23:59
1000 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO5 LO3
Assignment Research essay proposal
Proposal
10% Week 10
Due date: 08 May 2023 at 23:59
500 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO6 LO5 LO4 LO3 LO2

Assessment summary

  • Particpation: participation is based on preparation and active engagement with ideas from the readings, lectures and class discussions. Your mark will depend on how much you bring to the course in terms of questions, examples and ideas. It will also be based on the ways and degree to which you support your fellow students, through listening, workshopping and building on others' ideas.
  • Group presentation: Students will chose a week/topic and form a group to critically consider that week’s readings. The group will submit a 500 word précis of one of the required readings that clearly defines the author’s argument, methodological approach and evidence provided to support their argument.
  • Advertisement analysis: This essay requires students to analyze the relationship between ideological message and aesthetic strategies in any advertisement of your choice, drawing on ideas from 2 readings in Weeks 2-6. The ad can be from visual print media (newspaper, magazine, billboard, internet) or audiovisual media (commercial). 
  • Research essay proposal: This 500 word proposal gives a plan for the final essay and provides students with an opportunity to test their ideas and get feedback. The proposal states the working thesis (central argument) of the paper as well as theoretical approach(es) and methodology to be used. It also gives summaries of three external academic sources, and discusses how they will be used to support and develop the argument. 
  • Research essay: This paper involves building a complex understanding of a particular aspect of gender and the media covered in the unit. You will apply concepts from the course to case studies of media products/texts/experiences and the practices through which they are consumed. This essay should use relevant scholarly material to examine the ideological dimensions of how a particular brand, product, star or media text is produced and consumed. 

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

Students in this range will have exhibited a sophisticated understanding of issues relating to gender, media and consumption, demonstrating a high-level understanding and use of relevant concepts and theoretical frameworks. Written work will be of exceptional quality, in terms of expression and structure, will be highly aligned with the unit aims, and will offer original, persuasive insights into the areas covered.

Distinction

75 - 84

Students who achieve this grade will have demonstrated a deep engagement with the key issues and debates covered in the course, with very high quality written work, in terms of structure, style and content, that aligns with the unit aims.

Credit

65 - 74

Students in this range will have exhibited a good grasp of the key issues covered in the course, generally aligned with the course aims, and written work will be of good quality but with some room for improvement in terms of content, style and and structure and some deeper critical thinking.

Pass

50 - 64

Students will have exhibited a basic understanding of the concepts and theoretical frameworks canvassed in the course. Written work may have aligned somewhat with the unit aims, but there may be issues with expression, structure, augmentation and evidence.

Fail

0 - 49

Students in this range will not have met the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

 

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 Introduction Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 02 Intersectionality in/and gender and cultural studies Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 03 Postfeminism and femininities Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 04 Masculinities and advertising Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 05 "Femvertising" Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 06 Queer culture and television Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 07 Gendering reality TV Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 08 Digital self-branding Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 09 Fandoms Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 10 Reading week Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 11 Celebrity feminisms Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 12 Hashtag activisms Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 13 Conclusion/course wrap up Lecture and tutorial (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6

Attendance and class requirements

  • Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.
  • Lecture recording: Most lectures (in recording-equipped venues) will be recorded and may be made available to students on the LMS. However, you should not rely on lecture recording to substitute your classroom learning experience.
  • Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

WMST6903 Gender, media and consumer societies

Week 1 (20 Feb): Introduction 

No required readings, however these are recommended as an introduction to feminist media studies:

Harvey, A. (2019) Feminist Media Studies, London: Sage 

Carter, C. et al eds. (2013) The Routledge Companion to Gender and the Media, London: Routledge.

Week 2 (27 Feb): Intersectionality and/in gender and cultural studies

Required readings              

Edwards, E. & Esposito, J. (2020) Introduction, Intersectional Analysis as a Method to Analyze Popular Culture: Clarity in the Matrix, NY: Routledge, pp. 1-25.

Validivia, A.N. (2021) ‘Feminist Media Studies: We need to take intersectionality seriously’, in Ebert, S. & Bachman, I. eds, Reflections on Feminist Communication and Media Scholarship: Theory, Method, Impact, Routledge: London, pp. 133-47

Recommending readings

Hill Collins, P. (2019) ‘Intersectionality as critical inquiry’, in Intersectionality as critical social theory, Durham: Duke University Press, 21-53.

Oak Kim, J. (2022) ‘Intersectionality in quality feminist television: rethinking women’s solidarity in The Handmaid’s Tale and Big Little Lies’Feminist Media Studies, 22(6), 1463-1477.

Week 3 (6 March): Postfeminism and femininities

Required readings

Gill. R. (2007) ‘Elements of a Sensibility’, European Journal of Cultural Studies, 10:2, 147- 166. 

Dosekun, S. (2015) ‘For Western Girls Only: Post-feminism as transnational culture?’, Feminist Media Studies, 15:6, 960-975. 

Recommended readings 

Butler, J. (2013) ‘For White Girls Only?: Postfeminism and the Politics of Inclusion’, Feminist Formations, 25:1, 35-58.

Gill, R. (2016) ‘Post-postfeminism?: new feminist visibilities in postfeminist times’, Feminist Media Studies, 16:4, 610-630. 

Week 4 (13 March): Masculinities and Advertising 

Required readings 

Feasey, R. (2009) ‘Spray More, Get More: Masculinity, Television advertising and the Lynx effect’, Journal of Gender Studies, 18:4, 357-368. 

Knudsen, G. & Andersen, L., (2020) “Changing Masculinity, One Ad at a Time”, Westminster Papers in Communication and Culture, 15(2), p.63–78. doi: https://doi.org/10.16997/wpcc.382

Recommended readings 

Prianti, D. (2018) ‘Towards the westernized body: a popular narrative reinforced by men's lifestyle magazines in Indonesia’, Inter-Asia Cultural Studies, 19:1, 103-116. 

Pando-Canteli, MJ, and Pilar Rodriguez, M. (2021) ‘“Menvertising” and the Resistances to New Masculinities in Audiovisual Representations’. International journal of communication, Jan: 493-513.

Week 5 (20 March): ‘Femvertising’ 

Required readings

Varghese, N. & Kumar, N. (2020) ‘Feminism in advertising: irony or revolution? A critical review of femvertising’, Feminist Media Studies, DOI: 10.1080/14680777.2020.1825510.

Wallis, C. & Shen, Y. (2018) ‘The SK-II #changedestiny campaign and the limits of commodity activism for women’s equality in neo/non-liberal China’, Critical Studies in Media Communication, 35:4, 376-389.

Recommended readings

Myers, C. (2022). ‘The Femvertising of Beauty: Rhinoplasty of the Negroid Nose in Brazil’, In: Gwynne, J. (ed) The Cultural Politics of Femvertising. Palgrave Studies in (Re)Presenting Gender. London: Palgrave Macmillan, pp.193-213.

Taylor, J, Johnston, J. & Whitehead, K. (2014) ‘A Corporation in Feminist Clothing? Young Women Discuss the Dove ‘Real Beauty’ Campaign’, Critical Sociology, 42(1):123-144.

Week 6 (27 March): Queer culture and television

*Advertising analysis due

Required readings 

McNicholas Smith, K. & Tyler, I. (2017) ‘Lesbian brides: post-queer popular culture’, Feminist Media Studies, 17:3,315-331.

McLaren, J.T, Bryant, S. & Brown, B. (2021) “See me! Recognize me!” An analysis of transgender media representation’, Communication Quarterly, 69:2, 172-191.

Recommended readings

Smith, K.N. (2020) ‘Introduction’, in Lesbians on Television: New Queer Visibility & The Lesbian Normal, New York: Intellect Books.

Parsemain, A.L. (2019). Chapter 9: ‘Realistic Entertainment: The Complex Pedagogy of Transparent’, The Pedagogy of Queer TV, New York: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 193-212.

Week 7 (3 April): Gendering reality TV

Required readings 

Ouellette, L. & Hay, J. (2008) ‘Makeover television, governmentality and the good citizen’, Continuum, 22:4, 471-484.

Lewis, T. Martin, F & Sun, W. (2016) ‘Risky Romance: Navigating Late Modern Identities and Relationships on Chinese and Indian Lifestyle TV’, Telemodernities: Television and Transforming Lives in Asia, Durham: Duke University Press, 196-221.

Recommended readings 

Wei L. & Sun, Z. (2015) ‘Are You the One? China’s TV Dating Shows and the Sheng Nü's Predicament’, Feminist Media Studies, 15:2, 239-256.

Graefer A. (2018) ‘No place like home: Patriotism and femininity in German reality television’, Critical Studies in Television,13(1):24-41. 

10 April public holiday

Week 8: (17 April): Digital self-branding

Required readings 

Berryman, R. & Kavka, M. (2017) ‘“I Guess A Lot of People See Me as a Big Sister or a Friend”: the role of intimacy in the celebrification of beauty vloggers', Journal of Gender Studies, 26:3, 307-320. 

Hiebert, A. & Kortes-Miller, K. (2021) ‘Finding home in online community: exploring TikTok as a support for gender and sexual minority youth throughout COVID-19’, Journal of LGBT Youth, DOI: 10.1080/19361653.2021.2009953

Recommended readings 

Henderson, M. & Taylor, A. (2019), ‘YouTube beauty vlogs: intimate publics and postfeminist confidence and care’, in M. Henderson & A. Taylor, Postfeminism in Context, London: Routledge, pp.123-154.

Hurley, Z. (2022) ‘Middle Eastern women influencers’ interdependent/independent subjectification on Tiktok: feminist postdigital transnational inquiry’, Information, Communication & Society, 25:6, 734-751.

Week 9 - Fandoms

Anselmo, D. (2018) ‘Gender and Queer Fan Labor on Tumblr: The Case of BBC’s Sherlock’, Feminist Media Histories, 4 (1): 84–114. 

Palmer, Z. D. (2022). “I’m Going to Love and Tolerate the Shit Out of You”: Hybrid Masculinities in the Brony Community’. Men and Masculinities, 25(1): 87–105.

Recommended readings

Jensen, J. (1992) ‘Fandom as Pathology: The Consequences of Characterization’, in L. Lewis ed. The Adoring Audience: Fan Cultures and Popular Media, London: Routledge, 9-29. 

Pinkowitz, J.M. (2011) ‘“The rabid fans that take Twilight much too seriously”: The construction and rejection of excess in Twilight antifandom', Transformative Works and Culture, No. 7. 

Week 10 Reading Week

Week 11 (8 May) Celebrity feminisms 

* Research essay proposal due.

Required readings

Chidgey, C. (2021) ‘Postfeminism™: celebrity feminism, branding and the performance of activist capital’, Feminist Media Studies, 21(7): 1055-1071.

Jackson, S. (2020) ‘“A very basic view of feminism”: feminist girls and meanings of (celebrity) feminism’, Feminist Media Studies, DOI: 10.1080/14680777.2020.1762236.

Recommended readings 

Taylor, A. (2016) ‘Conclusion: The Future of Feminist Star Studies’, in Celebrity and the Feminist Blockbuster, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. 

Wang, B. (2019) ‘In Search of Celebrity Feminists in Contemporary China’, in S. Cai (ed.), Female Celebrities in Contemporary Chinese Society, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 185-208.

Week 12 (15 May) – Hashtag activisms 

Required readings

Clark-Parsons, R. (2019) “I SEE YOU, I BELIEVE YOU, I STAND WITH YOU”: #MeToo and the performance of networked feminist visibility’, Feminist Media Studies, DOI: 10.1080/14680777.2019.1628797

Zang, J. (2019) ‘You Say #MeToo, I Say #MiTu: China’s Online Campaigns Against Sexual Abuse’, in B. Fileborn, R. Loney-Howes (eds.), #MeToo and the Politics of Social Change, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 71-83.

Recommended readings 

Euisol Jeong, E. & Lee, J. (2018) ‘We take the red pill, we confront the DickTrix: online feminist activism and the augmentation of gendered realities in South Korea’, Feminist Media Studies, 18:4, 705-717.

Brown, M., Ray, R., Summers, E. & Fraistat, N. (2017) '#SayHerName: a case study of intersectional social media activism', Ethnic and Racial Studies, 40:11, 1831-1846. 

 Week 13 (22 May) Course wrap/revision/essay discussion

No required readings this week.

*5 June research essay due.

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. Encourage students to develop critical and creative approaches for understanding consumption both as a theoretical concept and as lived practice
  • LO2. Increase familiarity with some of the main ways that media and cultural theories have understood consumption
  • LO3. Develop critical writing and discussion skills for analysing academic and popular texts with respect to gender, media and consumption
  • LO4. Articulate the key ways that cultural theorists have understood consumption, particularly with regard to media and gender
  • LO5. Draw on cultural theories about consumption to analyse and critique various modes of consumption in media and popular culture
  • LO6. Relate these theories to those of transnationalism, identity and difference

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Some case studies and readings have been updated to take account of developments in the field.

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