Thanks for your assignments and presentations on gender and film. This will be our last week to do presentations. So, if you have not posted a presentation, please do so this week.
If you have already done a presentation, here is this week's assignment. Remember to read the links carefully, so you have a good understanding of the concept. Then, be sure to adequately address the complex correspondence between concept and text. Remember to review the previous posts so that you are not repeating someone else's assignment (This has been a problem in past weeks.)
Concepts
queer
transexual
transgender
homosexual
heterosexual
homophobia
heterosexism
Texts
Will and Grace
Queer as Folk
The L Word
Angels in America
Breakfast on Pluto
Transamerica
Big Eden
But I'm a Cheerleader
Boy's Don't Cry
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
American Beauty
We will not be having a quiz this week. So, don't worry about emailing Jennifer. But assignments/presentations will be due (as always) by 11:59 pm on Friday, Nov 30th.
Also, remember that your final film analysis paper is due Friday, Dec 7th by 11:59pm. Check the Bb site, under "Assignments" for more information. I will be getting your Film Analysis 2 grades back to you this week, so you have some feedback as you write your next paper.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Monday, November 19, 2007
Extra Credit Assignment #2
Since we do not have any new information to go over this week, I thought I would give you an opportunity to do some extra credit. This assignment will be potentially worth 2 percentage points added onto your final grade (those points could really help out some students). Assignments will be due by Sunday the 25th at 11:59pm.
Assignment
Since this is a web-based course, I figured we could participate in a very web-centric assignment. Students will have the opportunity to contribute three new elements to an existing article on Wikipedia.
First, create a wiki account. Some web sites require you to be a registered user for 4 days before you are allowed to edit. (Also, make sure that your account name resembles your real name so that I know that it is actually you contributing to the article.)
Now, pick a subject that we have addressed this semester in class. It can be a filmmaker, film, political activist, a theory or philosophy, a historical event, or current issue. As long as it has a clear connection to our studies, it is fine.
Next, visit the wiki article for your subject. Read it carefully. Then, do a little research using credible, published sources (a book or an article from an academic journal or reputable news source) on the subject. Find three facts, details, or issues that are not currently included in the wiki article.
Students will then edit the wiki article, adding these 3 new bits of information. For detailed instructions on how to edit a wiki article visit wikipedia's introduction or editing how-to pages.
Assignment
Since this is a web-based course, I figured we could participate in a very web-centric assignment. Students will have the opportunity to contribute three new elements to an existing article on Wikipedia.
First, create a wiki account. Some web sites require you to be a registered user for 4 days before you are allowed to edit. (Also, make sure that your account name resembles your real name so that I know that it is actually you contributing to the article.)
Now, pick a subject that we have addressed this semester in class. It can be a filmmaker, film, political activist, a theory or philosophy, a historical event, or current issue. As long as it has a clear connection to our studies, it is fine.
Next, visit the wiki article for your subject. Read it carefully. Then, do a little research using credible, published sources (a book or an article from an academic journal or reputable news source) on the subject. Find three facts, details, or issues that are not currently included in the wiki article.
Students will then edit the wiki article, adding these 3 new bits of information. For detailed instructions on how to edit a wiki article visit wikipedia's introduction or editing how-to pages.
Be sure to provide a reference (on the wiki page) of the source from which you got your information. For detailed instructions on how create a citation on a wiki article, visit wikipedia's citing sources how-to.
Finally, after you have made your edits (including providing references), you will make a post on our class blog. The post should include 1) your subject and 2) a hotlink to the "history" page of your wiki article (the "history" tab is located at the top of each article page next to "edit" and "discussion"). This history page should have recorded your edits, so that I can visit the page and see the information (and citation) that you added to the article.
If you have any questions about the assignment, let me know soon (I'll be kind of busy later in the week). Good luck!
Finally, after you have made your edits (including providing references), you will make a post on our class blog. The post should include 1) your subject and 2) a hotlink to the "history" page of your wiki article (the "history" tab is located at the top of each article page next to "edit" and "discussion"). This history page should have recorded your edits, so that I can visit the page and see the information (and citation) that you added to the article.
If you have any questions about the assignment, let me know soon (I'll be kind of busy later in the week). Good luck!
Saturday, November 10, 2007
gender and film
Review
So, lets review what we learned about race. The concept of otherness involves the definition of another's identity based on his/her differences from oneself. This relates to the concept of ethnocentrism in which one identifies oneself as normal, good, and true and another as abnormal, bad, and false. (An easy example was the American people's rationalization of the slavery of African Americans).
The other concepts attempt to address the issue of racial division in a society. The separatist approach (exemplified by the Black Nationalism movement), seeks to solve social inequality by the intentional separation of people groups. Each group, in this case each race, would establish its own community (or "nation"). Integration (exemplified by Martin Luther King) is the opposite approach, in which inequality is overcome through the incorporation of oppressed people groups into the mainstream. Multiculturalism is a concept that refers to cultural pluralism, or the peaceful coexistence of different people groups in the same community. No group is dominant, each "agreeing to disagree," in a sense. Finally, hybridity is a concept that acknowledges the influence different people groups have on each other. So, rather than assume that the dominant group necessarily asserts its culture on the oppressed group (or assume that the oppressed group must integrate themselves into the dominant order), hybridity acknowledges the influence the groups have on each other.
Film and Gender Assignment
So, let's try it again this week. You did a great job last week at addressing the complexities of the correspondence between text and concept. This week, in addition to your usual discussion, be sure to include a brief example from the plot (and film language, if possible) that supports your discussion.
Texts
Death Proof
Invincible
300
Wild Hogs
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Sex and the City
The Sopranos
Big Love
Entourage
Desperate Housewives
Gossip Girl
24
"Cupid's Chokehold/Breakfast in America" by Gym Class Heroes
"Can't Hold Us Down" by Christina Aguilera
"Figured You Out" by Nickelback
Concepts
femininity and masculinity
patriarchy
misogyny
the male gaze
objectification
feminisms
And if you would like to read more:
Laura Mulvey's "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema"
Assignments will be due Friday, Nov. 16th at 11:59pm.
Quiz
From the Houston article on psychoanalysis, define Lacan's concepts of "the real", "the imaginary," and "the symbolic order."
Presentations
WHAT is going on guys? We have only TWO weeks left to present (this week and the week of Sexuality and Film), and only ONE student has done a presentation. PLEASE do this assignment, for the sake of your learning and your final grade. If you have questions about the presentation, look back at the blog post from the Class and Film week and read the assignment description. Then, if you have any questions, let me know ASAP.
So, lets review what we learned about race. The concept of otherness involves the definition of another's identity based on his/her differences from oneself. This relates to the concept of ethnocentrism in which one identifies oneself as normal, good, and true and another as abnormal, bad, and false. (An easy example was the American people's rationalization of the slavery of African Americans).
The other concepts attempt to address the issue of racial division in a society. The separatist approach (exemplified by the Black Nationalism movement), seeks to solve social inequality by the intentional separation of people groups. Each group, in this case each race, would establish its own community (or "nation"). Integration (exemplified by Martin Luther King) is the opposite approach, in which inequality is overcome through the incorporation of oppressed people groups into the mainstream. Multiculturalism is a concept that refers to cultural pluralism, or the peaceful coexistence of different people groups in the same community. No group is dominant, each "agreeing to disagree," in a sense. Finally, hybridity is a concept that acknowledges the influence different people groups have on each other. So, rather than assume that the dominant group necessarily asserts its culture on the oppressed group (or assume that the oppressed group must integrate themselves into the dominant order), hybridity acknowledges the influence the groups have on each other.
Film and Gender Assignment
So, let's try it again this week. You did a great job last week at addressing the complexities of the correspondence between text and concept. This week, in addition to your usual discussion, be sure to include a brief example from the plot (and film language, if possible) that supports your discussion.
Texts
Death Proof
Invincible
300
Wild Hogs
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Sex and the City
The Sopranos
Big Love
Entourage
Desperate Housewives
Gossip Girl
24
"Cupid's Chokehold/Breakfast in America" by Gym Class Heroes
"Can't Hold Us Down" by Christina Aguilera
"Figured You Out" by Nickelback
Concepts
femininity and masculinity
patriarchy
misogyny
the male gaze
objectification
feminisms
And if you would like to read more:
Laura Mulvey's "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema"
Assignments will be due Friday, Nov. 16th at 11:59pm.
Quiz
From the Houston article on psychoanalysis, define Lacan's concepts of "the real", "the imaginary," and "the symbolic order."
Presentations
WHAT is going on guys? We have only TWO weeks left to present (this week and the week of Sexuality and Film), and only ONE student has done a presentation. PLEASE do this assignment, for the sake of your learning and your final grade. If you have questions about the presentation, look back at the blog post from the Class and Film week and read the assignment description. Then, if you have any questions, let me know ASAP.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
film and race
Review
Thanks for your responses last week. For the most part, they were thoughtful and articulate. I'm glad that we're able to apply some of the concepts we've learned in our analysis of new cultural texts.
So, hopefully we have some basic understandings of economic and social class. Class is the division of society into a hierarchy of people groups based on their economic standing. Karl Marx, living in Germany during the Industrial Revolution, was a "materialist." He believed that our material (or our economic) circumstances dictate our consciousness (so, in essence, economy determines existence). He saw capitalism (the economic system reliant on the concept of "free market") as being oppressive of working classes. He describes the exploitation of the laborer as mere "forces of production" and the "alienation" experienced by the laborer as he is further separated from his labors, his fellow men, and his environment. Marx critiqued the use of money as a means of exchange, noting the dangerous potential of its socially-constructed, symbolic value (I can exchange money for power and influence OR in order to get medical care, I need money. Even though power and health don't have any real connection to my wages.) Marx predicted that capitalism would end with revolution--the working class would rise up and share control of the economic means of production.
Post-Marxists, like Gramsci, revised some of Marx's ideas. Gramsci's concept of hegemony explained the reason why the Marxist revolution had not occurred. Rather than revolt, overthrow and establish a new system, the working class is constantly engaged in negotiations of power with the ruling class. The upper class rules not just by oppression, but "leads" the working class. And while the class division is maintained, the power is shared by ruling and working classes (although unequally).
Egalitarianism is the theory that involves the redistribution of wealth based on notions of inherent human equality and "just meritocracy." So, an egalitarian system would be one in which social and economic division would be nonexistent. The use of money would be limited, avoiding Marx's "transposition of all things." And individuals would merit rewards that naturally correspond to their needs and efforts (so medical care would be available to all in need of care, not just the financially funded; political influence would be merited by skills of leadership and persuasion rather than money).
Neoliberalism is the extension of capitalistic concepts. The use of "liberal" refers not to political/social conservatism/liberalism, but rather the "laissez faire" theory of market-driven economics. This economic system (the most prevalent in the Western world today) champions "free trade" and the deregulation and privatization of all services. While proponents of neoliberalism explain it as a means of developing modern, economically interdependent global-economic relations, it is criticized for the potential for economic imperialism and exploitation of "developing" nations (like the Third World) by "developed" nations (like the U.S. and Western Europe).
Film and Race Assignment
So, lets give it another try this week. Use our discussions of race and ethnicity from the previous weeks (Society Divided, Stereotypes, The Western, The War Film, African American Film) as foundations for your learning this week. Read the concepts listed, and then choose a pop culture text from the list that (in some way) corresponds with a specific concept.
***Be sure to acknowledge the complexity of the correspondence between text and concept. For example, while many of the texts last week could be related to egalitarianism, none of them exemplified it. Fergie, The Cosby Show, and the vast majority of pop culture demonstrates capitalism (the Protestant work ethic, the American dream, the triumph of the market, the freedom of the consumer, and the hierarchy of social class). So, while there probably is a correspondence between each concept and each text, be careful of oversimplifying that correspondence.***
Concepts
otherness
assimilation
nationalism/separatism
hybridity
multiculturalism
Texts
Hotel Rwanda
American Gangster
Bamboozled
X2
Spy Kids trilogy
Heroes
Lost
Chapelle's Show
Aliens in America
The Office
George Lopez Show
Survivor: Cook Islands
"Freedom" by Rage Against the Machine
"Straight Outta Compton" by N.W.A.
"War" by Bob Marley
"Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American)" by Toby Keith
Quiz
In his Stuart Hall's discussion of power (as defined by Foucault, Gramsci, and himself), Hall writes that “it cannot be thought of in terms of one group having a monopoly of power…” How does he subsequently explain power?
Presentations???
No one did a presentation on Class last week. I'm hoping some students choose to present this week on Race. See last week's post for assignment details. Remember that each student must present one week (and there's only three weeks left).
All quizzes (emailed to Jennifer), assignments (posted on the blog), and presentations (posted on the blog in place of the student's assignment) are due this Friday, the 9th by 11:59pm.
Thanks for your responses last week. For the most part, they were thoughtful and articulate. I'm glad that we're able to apply some of the concepts we've learned in our analysis of new cultural texts.
So, hopefully we have some basic understandings of economic and social class. Class is the division of society into a hierarchy of people groups based on their economic standing. Karl Marx, living in Germany during the Industrial Revolution, was a "materialist." He believed that our material (or our economic) circumstances dictate our consciousness (so, in essence, economy determines existence). He saw capitalism (the economic system reliant on the concept of "free market") as being oppressive of working classes. He describes the exploitation of the laborer as mere "forces of production" and the "alienation" experienced by the laborer as he is further separated from his labors, his fellow men, and his environment. Marx critiqued the use of money as a means of exchange, noting the dangerous potential of its socially-constructed, symbolic value (I can exchange money for power and influence OR in order to get medical care, I need money. Even though power and health don't have any real connection to my wages.) Marx predicted that capitalism would end with revolution--the working class would rise up and share control of the economic means of production.
Post-Marxists, like Gramsci, revised some of Marx's ideas. Gramsci's concept of hegemony explained the reason why the Marxist revolution had not occurred. Rather than revolt, overthrow and establish a new system, the working class is constantly engaged in negotiations of power with the ruling class. The upper class rules not just by oppression, but "leads" the working class. And while the class division is maintained, the power is shared by ruling and working classes (although unequally).
Egalitarianism is the theory that involves the redistribution of wealth based on notions of inherent human equality and "just meritocracy." So, an egalitarian system would be one in which social and economic division would be nonexistent. The use of money would be limited, avoiding Marx's "transposition of all things." And individuals would merit rewards that naturally correspond to their needs and efforts (so medical care would be available to all in need of care, not just the financially funded; political influence would be merited by skills of leadership and persuasion rather than money).
Neoliberalism is the extension of capitalistic concepts. The use of "liberal" refers not to political/social conservatism/liberalism, but rather the "laissez faire" theory of market-driven economics. This economic system (the most prevalent in the Western world today) champions "free trade" and the deregulation and privatization of all services. While proponents of neoliberalism explain it as a means of developing modern, economically interdependent global-economic relations, it is criticized for the potential for economic imperialism and exploitation of "developing" nations (like the Third World) by "developed" nations (like the U.S. and Western Europe).
Film and Race Assignment
So, lets give it another try this week. Use our discussions of race and ethnicity from the previous weeks (Society Divided, Stereotypes, The Western, The War Film, African American Film) as foundations for your learning this week. Read the concepts listed, and then choose a pop culture text from the list that (in some way) corresponds with a specific concept.
***Be sure to acknowledge the complexity of the correspondence between text and concept. For example, while many of the texts last week could be related to egalitarianism, none of them exemplified it. Fergie, The Cosby Show, and the vast majority of pop culture demonstrates capitalism (the Protestant work ethic, the American dream, the triumph of the market, the freedom of the consumer, and the hierarchy of social class). So, while there probably is a correspondence between each concept and each text, be careful of oversimplifying that correspondence.***
Concepts
otherness
assimilation
nationalism/separatism
hybridity
multiculturalism
Texts
Hotel Rwanda
American Gangster
Bamboozled
X2
Spy Kids trilogy
Heroes
Lost
Chapelle's Show
Aliens in America
The Office
George Lopez Show
Survivor: Cook Islands
"Freedom" by Rage Against the Machine
"Straight Outta Compton" by N.W.A.
"War" by Bob Marley
"Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American)" by Toby Keith
Quiz
In his Stuart Hall's discussion of power (as defined by Foucault, Gramsci, and himself), Hall writes that “it cannot be thought of in terms of one group having a monopoly of power…” How does he subsequently explain power?
Presentations???
No one did a presentation on Class last week. I'm hoping some students choose to present this week on Race. See last week's post for assignment details. Remember that each student must present one week (and there's only three weeks left).
All quizzes (emailed to Jennifer), assignments (posted on the blog), and presentations (posted on the blog in place of the student's assignment) are due this Friday, the 9th by 11:59pm.
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