"Sex Sells" Spring 2011 Course Calendar of Events

“Sex Sells” Spring 2011
Course Calendar of Events

Note: For every individual reading from the packet, there is a brief “Daily Reading Write-Up” due the same day the reading is due. All assignments, without exception, are due at promptly 10:00 a.m. on the day they are due. No late assignments are ever accepted for any reason.

	Tuesday	Thursday
Week 1: Introductions and Getting Started with Media Theory	April 5 Today’s Topics: Syllabus, Course Basics Meeting your classmates Introduction to Course Terms and Ideas Gender Stereotyping in Ads	April 7 Today’s Topics: Introduction to Media Literacy – History of Feminism Critique Handout Paper #1 assignment sheet Discuss Patriarchy Read for today: Packet Reading #1: “Gender and the Media” by Gill Packet Reading #3: “Patriarchy, the System” by Johnson
Week 2:	April 12 Due Today: Activity #1 (Gender Stereotypes in Advertising) Today’s Topics: Media Theory and Approaches Gender Roles and Stereotypes Read for today: Packet Reading #2: “Analyzing Gender in Media Texts” by Gill Packet Reading #4: “We’re all Someone’s Freak” by Smith Between XX & XY, Chapters 1 & 2 (one write-up covering both chapters)	April 14 Today’s Topics: Let’s undress some ads! Film to watch in Class: “Killing Us Softly 4: Advertising’s Image of Women” (34 minutes) How to Write Paper #1 – Sample papers, PIE, how to organize an essay Begin discussing Gender Research issues Read for today: Packet Reading #5: “Undressing the Ad: Reading Culture in Advertising” by Frith Packet Reading # 6: “Difficulties in Conducting Research on Gender” by Helgeson

Week 3:	April 19 Due Today: Activity #2 (Watch TV) Due Today: Rough Draft of Paper #1: Ad Analysis Paper Bring 3 copies with you to class (as well as your ad) Today’s Topics: Thesis statements, evidence, and rhetorical appeals (logical, ethical, emotional appeals) Critically Thinking about Research in the Media Read for today: Packet Reading #7: “Advertising and People of Color” by Willson and Gutierrez Packet Reading #8: “Thinking Critically About Psychology in the Media” by unknown Packet Reading #9: “Sex, Lies, and Advertising,” by Steinem	April 21 Due Today: Final Draft of Paper #1: Ad Analysis Paper Today’s Topics: Biological sex differences Introduction to Advertising Read for today: Packet Reading #10: “Cultural Capital: The Cultural Economy of U.S. Advertising” by Vermehren Between XX & XY, Chapters 4 & 5 (one write-up for both chapters)
Week 4: Theoretical Perspectives and Gender Theory	April 26 Today’s Topics: Introduce Paper #3 Guest Librarian: Aryana Bates visits Biological sex differences (cont.) Read for today: Packet Reading #11: “Believing is Seeing: Biology as Ideology,” by Lorber Between XX & XY, Chapters 6-end (one write-up for all chapters)	April 28 Due Today: Activity #3 (Toy store) Today’s Topics: Evolutionary, Freudian, and Social Theories of Gender Read for today: Packet Reading #12: “Gender Socialization, Or How Long a Way Has Baby Come?” by Basow Packet Reading # 13: “Sex-Related Comparisons: Theory” by Helgeson

Week 5: Sexuality	May 3 Today’s Topics: Sexuality: Research and Media How to incorporate research into your writing (summarizing, paraphrasing, quoting) Read for today: Packet Reading #14: “The Secret of My Desire: Gender, Class, and Sexuality in Lingerie Catalogs” by Valdivia Packet Reading #15: “Human Sexuality: How Do Men and Women Differ” by Peplau Between XX & XY, Chapter 3	May 5 Due Today: Activity #4 (Personal Ads) Due Due: Have your groups decided for Paper #3 Today’s Topics: Receive Paper #2 assignment sheet Sexual Orientation: Research and Media Midterm Review Read for today: Packet Reading #16: “Designed for (Male) Pleasure: The Myth of Lesbian Chic in Mainstream Advertising “ by Reichert, et. al. Packet Reading #17: “Masculinity as Homophobia” by Kimmel
Week 6: Men and Media	May 10 Due Today: Midterm Today’s Topics: (After Midterm) Film to watch in Class: “Tough Guise: Violence, Media, and The Crisis in Masculinity” (105 minutes) Let's start Paper #2! Read for today: Packet Reading #18: “Advertising and the Construction of Violent White Masculinity” by Katz	May 12 Plan for Paper #3 due Today’s Topics: Film to watch in Class: “Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes” (61 minutes) Aggression and Men Read for today: Packet Reading #19: “The Male Consumer as Loser: Beer and Liquor Ads in Mega Sports Media Events” by Messner & Montez de Oca Packet Reading #20: “Men’s Magazines and Modern Masculinities”

Week 7: Communication and Relationships	May 17 Due Today: Activity #5 (Breaking a Norm) Due Today: Rough Draft of Paper #2 (Bring 3 copies) Today’s Topics: Paper #3 Progress Guest Librarian: Aryana Bates visits Read for today: Packet Reading #21: “Claiming Jezebel: Black Female Subjectivity and Sexual Expression in Hip-Hop” by Byrd	May 19 Due Today: Final Draft of Paper #2 Today’s Topics: Media and Body Image: Food, Beauty Products, Plastic Surgery – Controlling the Body Digital manipulation of images Read for today: Packet Reading #22: “The More You Subtract, the More You Add: Cutting Girls Down to Size” by Jean Kilbourne Packet Reading #23: “Gender as the Next Top Model of Global Consumer Citizenship” by Palmer
Week 8: Health Issues	May 24 Today’s Topics: Physical Health – Hygiene products for men and women Eating Disorders, diet aids Read for today: Packet Reading #24: “Women, Weight, and Body Image” by Smith Packet Reading #25: “Taking Up Space” by Lukoff Packet Reading #26: “I’m Not Fat, I’m Latina” Packet Reading #27: “That Time of the Month: Adolescence, Advertising, and Menstruation,” by Merskin	May 26 Today’s Topics: How to do a Poster for Paper #3 Mental Health and Gender MLA documentation, introductions and conclusions Read for today: Packet Reading #28: “Misdiagnosing the Mind” by Tavris Packet Reading #29: “Gender Differences in Depression” by Nolen-Hoeksema

Week 9: PMS and Porn	May 31 Today’s Topics: Porn, Sex, and the Internet Read for today: Packet Reading #30: “The legal line between porn and prostitution” by Colb Packet Reading #31: “The Pornography Debates: Beyond Cause and Effect” by Boyle Packet Reading #32: “A Pornographic World” by Jensen	June 2 Due Today: Rough Draft of Paper #3 Today’s Topic: Internet, social media, reality TV Film to watch in Class: “Selling Game” (45 minutes) Read for today: Packet Reading #33: “Female Chauvinist Pigs” by Levy Packet Reading #34: “Not the Sharpest Tool in the Shed” by Brown et al Packet Reading #35: “Is There Anything Real About Reality Programs?” by Lamb and Brown
Week 10: So now what?	June 7 Today’s Topic: Gender in Communication Films to watch in Class: “Deborah Tannen: He Said, She Said – Gender, Language, and Communication” (50 minutes) and “Deborah Tannen: In-Depth” (25 minutes) Read for today: Packet Reading #36: “What Makes Marriage Work?” by Gottman & Silver Packet Reading #37: “Trans-Corporation: A Benefit Analysis of a Transgender Man in a Corporate Setting” by Whitley	June 9 Due Today: Final Draft of Paper #3 Today’s Topic: Synthesizing the course: What can we do? Potluck – Class Poster presentations Review for Final Exam Read for today: Packet Reading #38: “Personal Strategy for Increasing Media Literacy” by Potter Packet Reading #39: “Unraveling the Gender Knot” Johnson
Week 11: Finishing Up!	June 14 Last Day of Class: Take Final Exam