GI403      Half Unit
Gender and Media Representation

This information is for the 2015/16 session.

Teacher responsible

Dr Sadie Wearing, COL.5.01H

Availability

This course is compulsory on the MSc in Gender, Media and Culture. This course is available on the MSc in Culture and Society, MSc in Culture and Society, MSc in Gender, MSc in Gender (Research), MSc in Gender, Policy and Inequalities, MSc in Media and Communications, MSc in Media and Communications (Data and Society), MSc in Media and Communications (Research) and MSc in Organisational and Social Psychology. This course is available as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit.

Course content

This course aims to enable students: to think critically about representations of gender in a range of different media; to apply a range of theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of the media; to examine changing representations of gender in the context of wider social changes and to explore questions concerning the interpretation and use of different media formats and content. The course focuses on examples largely drawn from Anglo-American media and usually includes topics such as news media and gender; gendered approaches to contemporary cinema; online environments and gender and critically explores terms such as 'postfeminism' in relation to media content. The course also considers themes such as the nature of contemporary celebrity and questions of media representations of gender in relation to dimensions such as sexuality, class, race, age and (dis)ability.

Students will be expected to maintain familiarity with contemporary UK media, although there is opportunity to research and write on other national contexts.

Teaching

20 hours of lectures and 10 hours of seminars in the MT.

Lectures will incorporate audio-visual material. There will be occasional screenings of material to be discussed in class.

Formative coursework

Essay (1500-2000 words) to be submitted during class in Week 5 of the MT.

Indicative reading

  • Carter C and Steiner L (eds) (2004)  Critical Readings: Media and Gender
  • Cohan, S. & Hark, I.R. (eds) (1993), Screening the Male: Exploring Masculinities in Hollywood Cinema, (chapters by Neale, Wiegman, Fuchs).
  • Dyer, R. (2001) Culture of Queers.
  • Dyer, R. (2002) The Matter of Images: Essays on Representation.
  • Gill, R. (2007) Gender and the Media.
  • Gill R and Scharff C (eds.)  (2011) New Femininities
  • Hall, S. (1997) Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices.
  • Stacey, J. (1994) Star Gazing: Hollywood Cinema and FemaleSpectatorship.
  • Tasker, Y. and Negra, D. (eds) (2007) Interrogating Postfeminism: Gender and the Politics of Popular Culture (Console-ing Passions).
  • van Zoonen, L, (1994) Feminist Media Studies.
  • Waters ,M (ed)  (2011) Women on Screen.

Assessment

Essay (100%, 4000 words) in the LT.

Student performance results

(2011/12 - 2013/14 combined)

Classification % of students
Distinction 16.2
Merit 52.3
Pass 28.8
Fail 2.7

Key facts

Department: Gender Institute

Total students 2014/15: 39

Average class size 2014/15: 13

Controlled access 2014/15: Yes

Value: Half Unit

Guidelines for interpreting course guide information

Personal development skills

  • Self-management
  • Team working
  • Problem solving
  • Application of information skills
  • Communication
  • Commercial awareness
  • Specialist skills

Course survey results

(2011/12 - 2013/14 combined)

1 = "best" score, 5 = "worst" score

The scores below are average responses.

Response rate: 83.7%

Question

Average
response

Reading list (Q2.1)

1.6

Materials (Q2.3)

1.5

Course satisfied (Q2.4)

1.5

Lectures (Q2.5)

1.4

Integration (Q2.6)

1.5

Contact (Q2.7)

1.6

Feedback (Q2.8)

1.5

Recommend (Q2.9)

Yes

92.3%

Maybe

6.4%

No

1.3%