Communications Studies (COMS) 591 - Lecture 03
Senior Seminar in Communication: Mediating Sexualities
Winter 2007
Wednesdays 15:00 - 18:00  

Instructor:	Dr. R Sullivan
Office Location:	SS 344
Office Phone:	220-3397
E-Mail:	rsulliva@ucalgary.ca (preferred)
Web Page:	http://homepages.ucalgary.ca/~rsulliva/home.html
Office Hours:	Mondays and Wednesdays 12:30-14:00

Additional Information

Some of the materials and topics presented in class include explicit sexual or violent content. If these materials make you uncomfortable, you are encouraged to speak with the professor. You will not be exempt from the work but we will work together to accommodate your concerns. This class respects difference and diversity for all gender and sexual orientations, while welcoming thoughtful, critical discussions about their representations and discourses in media and popular culture.

Responsibility for all lecture, lab and reading materials resides with the student. The professor will not give out lecture notes, repeat information, nor provide replacement copies of material that was provided during regular class hours. Use of recording technologies in class is prohibited.

A mailing list has been set up for the class, the address is coms591l03-l@mailman. ucalgary.ca. This is to assist you in developing a peer support group amongst yourselves. Your subscription to the list is mandatory and automatic and you are assumed to have checked for any messages in advance of both the class and the lab, in case of sudden changes to the schedule. The professor will monitor the group and be able to read all posts, but will not contribute unless there is an important point of clarification to be addressed.

The mailing lists are automatically populated every evening by the university network and uses the e-mail address you have on file when you register. No human can override this system. Therefore it is entirely your responsibility to ensure that your records are up to date. You will miss receiving important information for this class if you do not have an up-to-date e-mail address registered on the system.

Course Description

This course offers in-depth investigation of some key themes in media studies as it concerns sexuality. Using perspectives from feminist, queer, trans, and masculinity frameworks, we will explore different facets of how sexuality is mediated as performance, identity, consumer system, and productive labour. As a seminar course, expectations for active participation from all students is expected.

Objectives of the Course

Through class discussion, presentations and independent research projects, students will gain (1) the opportunity to synthesize, assess and apply sophisticated scholarly concepts to issues that concern you personally; (2) understanding of the ideological assumptions by which sexuality is represented and integrated into our everyday lives; (3) a sophisticated understanding of the limits and potential of Communications in scholarly research.

Textbooks and Readings:

Reading package available in university bookstore. Additional articles available online.

Assignments and Evaluation

It is the student's responsibility to keep a copy of each submitted assignment.

Note: Please return assignments directly to the instructor if possible. If it is not possible to do so, a daytime drop box is available in SS110; a date stamp is provided for your use. A night drop box is also available for after-hours submission. Assignments will be removed the following morning, stamped with the previous day's date, and placed in the instructor's mailbox. It is the student's responsibility to keep a copy of each submitted assignment.

All assignments are due in class, unless otherwise directed in the syllabus. If they are not submitted to the instructor at the beginning of class, they will be considered one day overdue. If you submit in SS110 without a reasonable excuse, it will be considered one day overdue. Do not slide any assignments or other materials under the office doors of the professor. They will not be accepted.

Reading Quizzes 10% weekly

Scene Analysis 20% January 17

Presentation 30% weekly

Take Home Exam 40% April 16

Reading Quizzes: These are short, 3-question quizzes based on the assigned readings for that week. Each quiz takes place at the beginning of that week's class and is worth 1%. There will be 11 quizzes in all, and your lowest mark will be dropped. There are no make-up quizzes.

Scene Analysis: On the first day of class (January 10) the professor will show a scene from a film. We will briefly discuss the scene and the different sexual dynamics that are mediated in it. You will then write a short (1,000-1,500 word) analysis of the scene paying very close attention to the way in which sexuality is represented. The analysis is due the next week in class, January 17. Late submissions will not be accepted.

Follow a scholarly style in both research and writing, as outlined on the professor's web page. Do NOT analyze the film in its entirety. This exercise is what's called a "close reading," in which you are encouraged to parse the text of the film for its different components (lighting, sound, acting, narration, set design, etc.) in order to reveal the deeper meanings behind the frame. In other words, you are looking at the grammar of film as a form of popular communication that mediates ideas and values about sexuality.

Some questions to ask include: Who has the power in the scene? What is the role of the camera? What mood is created by lighting, sound or editing? How is the audience expected to react? What kinds of gender/sexual roles are being played out here? How do we feel watching this scene, and is that how the film wants us to feel? Some independent scholarly research is required to develop an effective and suitably complex analysis.

In-class Presentations: Working in groups of 2-3, you will develop a scholarly presentation on the week's subject matter, relying first on the reading assignments but augmenting them with independent research of your own. Presentations should be approximately 30-45 minutes. The professor reserves the right to stop any presentation that (a) does not adhere to these time limits or (b) fails to critically engage with the themes of that week at a sophisticated scholarly level.

Do not merely summarize the readings, nor indulge in personal opinion or whimsy. Rather, deal with one or two of the main themes in the texts and discuss the scholarly as well as social issues that arise from them. You may wish to include audio-visual materials to highlight your key points, but do not rely on fancy multimedia to the detriment of solid, well-researched analysis. Creativity without content or substance is never the right way to go.

Take Home Exam: On the last day of class you will receive an extended essay question. Begin first with the readings and discussions done in the class, but incorporate independent research as well. More details will be provided in the essay question. The goal is to demonstrate your understanding of the material in class and your ability to synthesize this material into a unique, compelling analysis of your own. Your final answer/essay should be approximately 3,000 - 4,000 words and follow a scholarly format as outlined on the professor's website.

Deadline for exams to be marked with comments: Monday, April 16th, 2007, 12PM

Deadline for exams to be marked with no comments: Friday, April 27th, 2007, 12PM

Registrar-scheduled Final Examination: No

Please note: If your class is held in the evening, the Registrar's Office will make every attempt to schedule the final exam during the evening; however, there is NO guarantee that the exam will NOT be scheduled during the day.

Policy for Late Assignments

Please see Assignments and Evaluations for lateness policies.

Writing Skills Statement

Faculty policy directs that all written assignments (including, although to a lesser extent, written exam responses) will be assessed at least partly on writing skills. For details see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/info. Writing skills include not only surface correctness (grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, etc) but also general clarity and organization. Research papers must be properly documented.

If you wish help with your writing at any stage, including drafts, you are invited to contact the Writing Centre, SS110, 220-7255.

Grading System

The following grading system is used in the Faculty of Communication and Culture:

A+ (96-100); A (92-95); A- (86-91); B+ (81-85); B (77-80); B- (71-76);
C+ (65-70); C (62-64); C- (59-61); D+ (55-58); D (50-54); F (0-49)

 

Plagiarism

Using any source whatsoever without clearly documenting it is a serious academic offense. For details see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/info. Consequences include failure on the assignment, failure in the course and possibly suspension or expulsion from the university.

You must document not only direct quotations but also paraphrases and ideas where they appear in your text. A reference list at the end is insufficient by itself. Readers must be able to tell exactly where your words and ideas end and other people’s words and ideas begin. This includes assignments submitted in non-traditional formats such as Web pages or visual media, and material taken from such sources.

Please consult your instructor or the Writing Centre (SS110) if you have any questions regarding how to document sources.

Students with Disabilities

If you are a student with a disability who may require academic accommodation, it is your responsibility to register with the Disability Resource Centre (220-8237) and discuss your needs with your instructor no later than fourteen (14) days after the start of the course.

Students' Union

For details about the current Students' Union contacts for the Faculty of Communication and Culture see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/info

"SAFEWALK" Program -- 220-5333

Campus Security will escort individuals day or night -- call 220-5333 for assistance. Use any campus phone, emergency phone or the yellow phone located at most parking lot booths.

Schedule of Lectures and Readings

To be handed out in class.