Information, Technology, and Society in Asia 221

April 6: Introductions April 11: Sex and Gender April 13: Gender Socialization April 18: Body Image and Body Dysmorphia April 20: Gender Performativity April 25: Social Media, Gender Identity, and Self-Esteem April 27: Masculinity in Crisis May 2: Motherhood, Work, and Family May 9: Sexuality, Biopolitics, and Power May 11: Censorship, Fantasy, and the Regulation of Desire May 16: Pornography May 18: Singlehood and Marriage May 23: Intersectionality May 25: Feminism and Gender Discontent

Discussion

1. Reading Presentation •Objective: To present one of the alternate readings (i.e. not the main reading) from each week’s list of readings by emphasizing the author’s main contributions to gender studies and by critiquing its relevance to gender theory. •Description: The presentation will summarize the reading’s major themes, critique the author’s arguments and perspective, highlight interpretive approaches and methodologies, and raise questions. •Length: Presentations should be around 7-10 minutes in length. 2.“Show and Tell” Presentation •Objective: To discover the relevance of gender analysis to everyday life through the examination of contemporary media texts. •Description: Students will present some sample of media that they have encountered either in their everyday lives or research (“show”), and will decode its meaning and analyze its relevance to gender theory (“tell”). •Length: Presentations should be brief in order to allow time for discussion and the sharing of perspectives and interpretations. Please avoid long video presentations. 3.Term Paper (due: 1 August 2023) The format of the term paper may be either: 1) a literature review paper that evaluates the current state of the field on some aspect of media and gender theory; or 2) an original research paper that engages in a close textual analysis of the gender implications of a particular media text, performance, or event. 1)A literature review essay is a critical review essay that will address some aspect of gender theory as it applies to the media. The literature review paper should not merely summarize the readings, but critically evaluate the authors’ arguments and methodologies, and propose new directions for future research. The paper should be based on the critical analysis of at least 3-5 books, articles, and/or chapters. The literature review essay should be about 3,000-5,000 words. 2)A research paper is an essay or chapter of one’s own dissertation that is based on the collection of original data through either qualitative or quantitative analysis. The topic of the essay can be on any aspect of the media that relates to gender or sexuality (broadly defined). The goal of this assignment is to produce a draft of original research paper suitable for future publication. The research paper should be the length of a journal article or about 6,000-8,000 words.

All readings for the course will be available for download as PDF files from the class webpage.

Mary Kosut, ed. Encylopedia of Gender in Media (Sage, 2012).

The class meets twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the S1 term. Thereafter, students work on individual term papers during the S2 term and may arrange to meet with the instructor one-on-one to discuss their research and/or writing.

All readings, classwork, and discussion in English.