Course Description
History, purposes, assumptions, and analytical and evaluative tools of feminist theory and criticism as they relate to various forms of public discourse. Examples may include, but are not limited to, rhetorical discourse, film, television, and other forms of public culture.
Athena Title
FEM THEORY & CRIT
Prerequisite
[(SPCM 8200 or COMM 8200) and (SPCM 8300 or COMM 8300)] or permission of department
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
This course is designed to require/encourage students to: I. Understand the history of feminist criticism as an outgrowth of the second wave of feminism, the birth of women's studies programs and academic activism. II. Understand major theories of the social influence of public discourse and media and their relationship to feminist concerns, including socialization and sex role stereotyping, psychoanalysis, semiotics, marxism, cultural studies, postructuralism, and postmodernism. III. Analyze and evaluate examples of feminist criticism of public discourse emerging from different theoretical traditions and treating different kinds of texts, including rhetoric, film, television, and advertising. IV. Develop the knowledge and skills needed to perform feminist criticism, focussing on some form of public discourse, in a seminar paper.
Topical Outline
1. History of feminist criticism. 2. Major theory #1. 3. Major theory #2. 4. Major theory #3. 5. Major theory #4. 6. Major theory #5. 7. Example of feminist criticism #1. 8. Example of feminist criticism #2. 9. Example of feminist criticism #3. 10. Example of feminist criticism #4. 11. Synthetic comparison of issues raised in 1-10. 12. Written products.
Syllabus