Sexed media, media-ted sex
Chris Atmore
12 points
* 2 hours per week
* First semester
* Clayton
Objectives This subject aims to provide students with an introduction to the study of mass media representations of gender and sexuality. This is a very diverse field, and students may take the subject with a range of previous experience. Students are not expected to emerge at the end of the subject as fully fledged media theorists and researchers; rather the subject aims to develop a working knowledge, and students will be encouraged to take a `hands-on' approach to media representations in becoming more critically engaged consumers of `sexed media' and `media-ted sex'. Specifically, the subject aims to introduce students to a range of theoretical approaches to the mass media and some background to this diversity; focus, via illustrations and case studies, on how these different theories can be used in analysing media representations of gender and sexuality; enable students to develop and build on a working knowledge of some important debates, concepts and research methods in media studies which focus on gender and sexuality; develop and consolidate in students the critical skills to be able to evaluate a piece of media research or theory and to carry out their own small study, and to be able to effectively present their arguments to others in class and in written form; help students to consider whether some media theories and methods might be more useful than others in studying issues of gender and sexuality.
Synopsis This subject considers how various theories of media representation relate to different theoretical models of gender and sexuality. We consider the role the mass media might play in producing and reproducing gender and sexuality as social processes and inequalities. We also examine whether there might be particular ways of thinking about the media and analysing media representations which are more conducive to considering themes of gender and sexuality. We consider different theoretical approaches to the media and their associated methods, and look at some specific studies and debates in the areas of media representation of sexual identities, sexual violence, AIDS and feminist and sexual identity-based political protest. Students are encouraged to make their own critical assessment of the theoretical debates and choices of media analytic methods, and to support their critiques by carrying out a small study of an aspect of media representation.
Assessment Essay (3000 words): 20%
* Project (6000 words): 60%
Recommended texts
Betterton R Looking on: Images of femininity in the visual arts and media Pandora, 1987
Cunningham S and Turner G (eds) The media in Australia Allen and Unwin, 1993
Fiske J Introduction to communication studies 1982
van Zoonen L Feminist media studies Sage, 1994
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