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WMST 250: Women, Art and Culture

Spring 2015 MWF Section 801 | 1:00­1:50 p.m.

Instructor: Avery Dame­Griff Department of Women’s Studies

Contact: adame@umd.edu Office hours: Monday and Wednesday 2:00­3:30 p.m., and by appointment

Office: Taliaferro 0111

“Representation, then, is not­­nor can it be­­neutral; it is an act­­indeed, the founding act­­of power in our culture,” Craig Owens, Beyond Recognition – Representation. Power, and

Culture, p. 91.

Course Description

WMST 250 is an introduction to the interdisciplinary field of women’s studies with special focus on the arts and humanities. The course aims to develop your skills in analysing and critiquing cultural texts, particularly their representations of women and their assumptions about gender, race, class, sexuality, and other categories of identity. It also introduces you to the cultural production of a range of women artists from different backgrounds, working in many different mediums and genres. It explores some of the differences among women, as well as connections and affiliations among them as creative workers in the arts.

University Requirements

In GENERAL EDUCATION, WMST 250 fulfills the DSHU requirement. In CORE, WMST 250 fulfills the distributive requirement in the Humanities and Arts, and satisfies the Human Cultural Diversity requirement. GENERAL EDUCATION and CORE courses are designed to expose students to the ideas and methods of different academic disciplines and fields, and the ways in which they produce and analyse knowledge. Analytic reading and writing and collaborative learning are central to the course. Accordingly, its success and the success of your learning experience in it depend on your informed and thoughtful preparation for class and your participation in class discussions and in writing and group project activities.

Learning Goals and Course Objectives

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The objective of this course is to provide students with the tools and capacity to think about and analyze the world they live in, to be engaged citizens in society. The readings, lectures, and discussions are designed to provide students with a better understanding of the influence of gender, alongside other categories such as race, class, sexuality, or ability, on structuring artistic and cultural production. However, the tools you will learn will aid you in any class and in any field you choose to specialize in. By the end of this course, students will:

Understand key concepts, categories, and theories of analysis in general and as they relate to Women’s studies in particular;

Have an understanding of the field of historic and contemporary artistic production;

Investigate the role and value of art in human life and demonstrate an understanding of the significance of specific art forms to the cultures that create them and adopt them;

Be able to describe specific processes by which works of painting, music, film, interactive media are created; describe the general creative processes common to two or more of these media;

Demonstrate the dependence of meaning upon cultural and historical context when analyzing works of art;

Demonstrate understanding of historical, cultural, social, or political conditions and the ways in which they influence the status, treatment, or accomplishments of those at the intersections of race, gender, class, ability, and sexuality;

Articulate how diversity helps shape the role of the individual and the interconnections and relationships within and among groups across societies and cultures; and

Further develop verbal, writing, critical thinking and media literacy skills, using appropriate technologies to conduct research on and communicate about the history or theory of the arts and to access, evaluate, and manage information to prepare and present their work effectively.

Required Texts

1. Gay, Roxane. Bad Feminist: Essays. HarperCollins, 2014. ISBN: 0062282719.

Generous Reading

In this course you’ll learn and practice, if you haven’t already, generous reading. This means that when you read I want you to pay attention to the argument the author makes, how they construct it, and what evidence they provide. You can also note what was left out, but do not focus on this dimension. When making a critique, be prepared

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to tell us how integrating a missed factor changes the argument. The bottom line is that you should always learn something from any of the readings in this or any other class.

Classroom Environment

My aim is to make the classroom a safe space to ask questions and exchange ideas. We all bring a different archive of knowledge to class from within and outside of the university and we can learn from each other. We don’t always have to agree but we always have to be respectful to each other and the course materials.

Online Component and Electronic Devices Policy

Our class will be using ELMS. All readings and handouts will be posted there, and I will post all announcements there under “Announcements.” For individual communications, I will primarily communicate with you individually via ELMS messages. You are responsible for remaining informed about any changes in the course schedule, readings, etc. This means that you are responsible for correctly setting your Notification settings. ELMS offers students the opportunity to set their own notification settings. This means you decide when you get notifications of announcements, grades, and other course­related items. Because all assignments and communication will be managed through ELMS, some of your settings will need to be more frequent than they would otherwise. To do so, click on your name in the right hand corner of your homepage, on the left a column of options appears, click on “Notifications.” For each category, hover over the column on the right and it will allow you to pick ASAP, Daily, Weekly, or no notification. A complete list of strongly suggested settings is available under the “Important Links” module on ELMS. This is a class that will benefit from you bringing in outside material via Googling. You are welcome to come to class with laptops or tablets. However, I reserve the right to restrict usage if deemed necessary.

Email Etiquette and Office Hours

You are also welcome to email me at adame@umd.edu. If you are emailing me, make sure to include WMST250­SECTIONNUMBER in the subject line. This will ensure I see your email and can respond promptly. I check my email regularly, and will often respond within 24 hours of receipt. However, my “email hours” end at 8 p.m. If you email me after that, your response will not come until the next morning.

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For office hours, you are welcome to drop in. However, I will keep a weekly updated document on Google Docs where you can sign up for office hours and check to see which spots are open.

Expectations and Policies Late Assignments

No extensions or make­ups will be granted on assignments or exams unless in the case of pre­arranged absence, illness, or emergency which must be documented in writing by a medical professional. Late weekly writing assignments will be penalized 10% per day past the due date, and “major” assignments (non­weekly papers, final exhibition, etc.) will be penalized 25% per day past the due date. I reserve the right to not accept them at all. All late assignments should be turned in via ELMS to their respective assignment pages.

Academic Integrity

By putting your name on your assignments and exams, you are indicating to me that the work is your own. The University has approved a Code of Academic Integrity which prohibits students from cheating on exams, plagiarizing papers, submitting fraudulent documents, and forging signatures. Plagiarism policy: all quotations taken from other authors, including from the internet, must be indicated in quotation marks and references. Paraphrasing must be referenced as well. Learning how to cite properly is an important skill; please consult a reference manual for proper citation practices, and ask me in advance of deadlines if you have any questions about citing materials properly. More information on the University’s Code of Academic Integrity, and handy reference­manual style guides for citations, are available here: http://www.lib.umd.edu/UES/plag_stud_what.html. All non­weekly writing assignments must be turned in on ELMS with a cover page containing a digitally signed copy (your full name) of the Student Honor Pledge: I, STUDENT NAME, pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any unauthorized assistance on this assignment/examination. Assignments without a cover page containing the Honor Pledge will not be accepted and will be penalized as a Late Assignment until a copy with the Honor Pledge is turned in. More information on the pledge is available at the Honor Council’s Website: http://www.shc.umd.edu/SHC/HonorPledgeInformation.aspx.

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Cancelled Class and Inclement Weather Policy

In the event of instructor illness, bad weather preventing me from getting to campus, or a university closure, I will let you know via an ELMS announcement at least an hour before class if it will be cancelled and what will happen instead, such as an alternate online activity, and how to submit/access it.

Religious Observances

University policy provides that students “should not be penalized because of observances religious beliefs; students shall be given an opportunity, whenever feasible, to make up within a reasonable time any academic assignment that is missed due to individual participation in religious observances.” Please inform me at by Feb 6, 2015 if you are going to miss any lecture sessions, discussion sections, exams, or other assignments due to religious observances so that alternative arrangements can be made.

Accommodations for Students with Special Needs

The University of Maryland works to provide appropriate accommodations for students with special needs. If you have a disability and might require accommodations in this course, please notify me immediately so that we can make arrangements to address your needs. You must inform me of any accommodations you require by Feb 6, 2015. DSS Website: http://www.counseling.umd.edu/DSS DSS email: dissup@umd.edu Office number: (301) 314­7682 Office Hours: Monday ­ Friday (8:30am to 4:30pm) Location: 0106 Shoemaker Building

Writing Center

The UMD English Department offers a superb resource: the campus writing center. I recommend that you bring your written work to the writing center so that they can help you improve your writing. Writing Center website: http://www.english.umd.edu/academics/writingcenter Writing Center email: writadmin@umd.edu Office Number: (301) 405­3785 (The Grammar Hotline) Location: 1205 Tawes Hall

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Attendance, Assignments, and Grading Attendance and Participation:

This is a discussion based course, and your participation is important. You will be expected to attend each class session having read, taken notes on the material, and prepared to contribute to discussion. The success of the class will depend on everyone sharing their ideas and perspectives. If you have difficulties speaking during a class, please come speak to me at the beginning of the course and we’ll work out a way that you can still contribute to class.

Regular class participation and active engagement with course readings, discussions, and themes are absolutely essential to your success in this course. Furthermore, habitual lateness will affect your ability to successfully participate. As per university policy, you may be absent from class once without question. I understand that people get sick, family emergencies happen, or other unforeseen circumstances arise. Any requests for excused absences must be signed by you with the knowledge that any falsehood in the note will be considered a violation of the student Code of Academic Integrity: http://www.president.umd.edu/policies/docs/III­100A.pdf. If you miss class for any reason, you are responsible for providing the appropriate written documentation of illness, for getting materials from a classmate and ensuring that you understand them, and making up any missed work.

Assignments:

Weekly Reading Journal: Each week, you will be required to write two short entries in the provided reading journal. Journals will be given at random on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. If any students have an excused absence on a journal day, they are responsible for making up their missed journals in a timely manner. In­Class Activities: Each week we will have at least in­class activities around that week’s topic.These could be small group projects or individual assignments. All of them are designed to get you involved, talking to each other, and thinking about that day’s readings. These activities are based on the assumption you’ve arrived to class having completed the readings, so you will need to come to class prepared. If you have an unexcused absence, these activities cannot be made up. Weekly Writing: Each week, you can write a 300­word minimum blog post style reflection on the week’s readings. You are responsible for completing 5 out of 11

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possible weekly writings of your choice throughout the semester ­ these cannot be made up after the due date has passed. Each weekly writing has two parts. For the first part, you will pick one of the “Definitions” for the week and define the term in your own words in three sentences or less. This definition should reference some of that week’s readings (this reference can be broad or specific). For the second part, you will respond to one of the offered prompts or write an independent reflection. This assignment will be due every Friday at 1:00 p.m. No exceptions will be made without prior arrangement with the instructor. Linksharing: Throughout the year, students will be expected to find and share class­relevant materials in that week’s thread on ELMS. These can be interesting news stories about current events, media commentary on relevant topics, or even Buzzfeed listicles, GIFsets, or trending twitter hashtags. Posts should include a link to the material, a short explanation of why it interested you, and how it connects to the week’s topic. Students will be responsible for making 5 postings throughout the semester, as well as posting 5 responses (of at least three sentences) commenting on the link. Essay Analysis: In this assignment, you will write a short paper, minimum 500 words in Times New Roman and double­spaced, analyzing an essay from Bad Feminist in this list of options:

1. Girls, Girls, Girls 2. I Once Was Miss America 3. Garish, Glorious Spectacles 4. Not Here to Make Friends 5. Reaching for Catharsis: Getting Fat Right (or Wrong) and Diana Spechler’s

Skinny 6. What We Hunger For 7. Blurred Lines, Indeed 8. The Trouble with Prince Charming, or He Who Trespassed Against Us 9. Surviving Django 10. The Morality of Tyler Perry 11. The Last Day of a Young Black Man

In your essay, you will answer the five questions below. A handout will be available later on the semester going into detail on expectations and grading.

1. What is/are the essay’s key question(s)? 2. Does the writer use a theory to guide their analysis? If so, what it is? How do

they use it?

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3. What method(s) does the writer use to make their argument? (In example: Compare/contrast different shows/books, etc; Apply theory to a show/book/etc?)

4. What evidence does the writer use? 5. What are the arguments? (In other words, how does the writer use the theory,

method, and evidence to propose answers (or make claims)? You will be responsible for turning in 2 essay analyses this semester. The first is due March 13 at 11:59 p.m. The second is due Apr 17 at 11:59 p.m. Wiki Project: Throughout the semester, you will be researching for and editing an existing Wikipedia entry for a female creative worker. This assignment will be broken down in four parts. More information on each assignment can be found at our course’s Wikipedia assignment page. However, all links for assignments will need to be turned in via the appropriate ELMS assignment. I strongly suggest you begin training and enroll in the course as soon as possible. The course enrollment token is WMST250Dame. Final Project ­ Exhibition: You will be expected to create a small, contained “exhibit” which will demonstrate your ideas for using questions and concepts considered in this course. This exhibit could be meant to teach others or make an argument based on this semester’s readings. The exhibit should stand alone, meaning that it should speak for itself without requiring the student to explain things verbally. Detail on possible examples/options will be discussed later in the semester. You will have three graded assignments prior to your exhibition itself: turning in a short proposal description, having a short office meeting with me going over your idea, and submitting a full proposal. The exhibit itself will have three graded components: A curatorial note describing the piece and your intent behind the piece; the exhibit itself; and an informal Q&A with me on presentation day.

Grading:

1000 points total possible. Grades will be rounded at professor’s discretion. Scale:

A+ = 961­1000 pts A = 940­960 pts A­ = 900­939 pts B+ = 861­899 pts B = 840­860 pts

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B­ = 800­839 pts C+ = 761­799 pts C = 740­760 pts C­ = 700­739 pts D+ = 661­699 pts D = 640­660 pts D­ = 600­639 pts F = 599 pts or below

Assignment Breakdown:

Reading Journal: 8 pts per journal * 25 = 200 pts (20%) In­Class Activities: 175 pts total (17.5%) Weekly Writing Assignment: 20 pts per assignment. 20 * 5 assignments = 100

pts total (10%) Linksharing: 5 posts * 10 pts per posting and 5 responses * 10 pts per

response. 10 * 10 assignments = 100 pts total (10%) Essay Analysis: 50 pts per assignment. 50 * 2 assignments = 100 pts total

(10%) Wiki Assignment: 125 pts. (12.5%)

Assignment 1: 25 pts. Assignment 2: 25 pts. Assignment 3: 50 pts. Assignment 4: 25 pts.

Final Project: 200 pts. (20%) Project Idea: 15 pts. Office Meeting: 10 pts. Project Proposal: 25 pts. Curatorial Note: 50 pts. Exhibit: 75 pts. Q & A: 25 pts.

Reading Schedule NOTE: Assignments, readings, and due dates are subject to change as the semester progresses. Latest version of reading schedule can be found on the Google Doc posted on ELMS. There is one required book for this class: Gay, Roxane. Bad Feminist: Essays. HarperCollins, 2014. ISBN: 0062282719. All readings (besides those in Bad Feminist) and handouts will be available in each week’s modules on ELMS. Each week’s readings has two components:

1. Definition: These are terms you should familiarize yourself with throughout this week. They will be defined in that week’s readings, and you will be responsible for sharing your own definitions in each week’s Weekly Writing assignment.

2. Readings: The main readings for this week. They will deal with the topic at hand, and may be returned to as the semester continues.

Week Of Monday Wednesday Friday

Jan 26 Week 1: What is Feminism?

Introductions Go Over Syllabus

Definition: Feminism

Readings:

Moore, David Chioni. “How to Read.”

Readings: In Gay, Roxane. 2014. Bad

Feminist: Essays. New York: HarperCollins.: “Feminism (n.): Plural” and “Bad Feminist: Take Two”

Feb 2 Week 2: Our Social World

Definitions: Ideology Hegemony Culture

Readings:

Definitions: Race Gender Class Ability

Definitions: Privilege Intersectionality

Readings:

In Bad Feminist: “Peculiar

Hebdige, Dick. 1993. Excerpt from "From culture to hegemony." In During, S. (ed.) The Cultural Studies Reader. London: Routledge. 357­367.

Dervin, Fred. 2011. Excerpt from “Cultural identity, representation and Othering.” In Jackson, J. (ed.). Routledge Handbook of Intercultural Communication. London: Routledge.

Readings: Omi, Michael and Howard Winant.

1994. Excerpt from “Racial Formations.” Racial Formation in the United States: From the 1960s to the 1990s. Psychology Press.

Lorber, Judith. 1994. Excerpts from “‘Night to His Day’: The Social Construction of Gender.” Paradoxes of Gender. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

Wachsler, Sharon. “Languaging Disability: Where do "Ability" and "Dis/Ability" Fit In?”

Benefits” Ms. Marvel #1 (On ELMS)

Feb 9 Week 3: How We See

Definitions: The Gaze Representation

Readings:

Representation Definition Watch John Berger, Ways of

Seeing, Episode 1 and Episode 2

Readings: Kress, Gunther and Van Leeuwen,

Theo. 2006. “Visual Interaction.” In Jaworski, Adam and Coupland, Nikolas (eds.) The Discourse Reader. London: Routledge. 362­383.

Readings: Photography and the

Construction of Identity (On ELMS)

Dyer, Richard. 1999. “Making ‘white’ people white.” In Donald, MacKenzie, and Judy Wajcman, editors. The Social Shaping of Technology. Open University Press.

Headless Fatties

Feb 16 Week 4: Technology and Knowledge

Library Session with Subject Librarian Judy Markowitz in

Mckeldin Room 6107.

Definitions: Media Literacy Discourse

Readings:

boyd, danah. “Chapter 7: literacy.”

Wiki Assignment #1 Due @ 11:59 p.m.

Readings:

Chiang, Ted. 2010. “Liking What You See: A

From It's Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens. 176­198.

Documentary.” Stories of your life and others. Small Beer Press.

Feb 23 Week 5: Visual Art

Final Project Meetings Definitions:

Art Feminist Art

Readings:

Feminist Art Definition Freeland, Cynthia. 2001.

“Gender, Genius and Guerrilla Girls.” But Is It Art?: An Introduction to Art Theory. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 122­147.

Final Project Meetings Readings:

W.A.R.: Women Art Revolution (Documentary; Link on ELMS)

Carry That Weight: The Revival of Feminist Performance Art (NOTE: You are not required to watch the embedded video, Yoko Ono’s “Rape.”)

Final Project Meetings

Project Idea Due @ 11:59 p.m. Readings:

Freeland, Cynthia. 2001. “Money, Markets, and Museums.” But Is It Art?: An Introduction to Art Theory, Oxford: Oxford University Press. 90­121.

Guerilla Girls Activity Book (on ELMS)

Mar 2 Week 6: Sound

Final Project Meetings Definitions:

Identity Readings:

Jarviluoma, Helmi, Pirkko Moiasala, and Anni Vilkko. 2003. “Not Only Vision – Analysing Sound and Music from the Perspective of Gender.” In Gender and Qualitative Methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Talking While Female

Final Project Meetings Readings:

Frith, Simon. 1996. "Music and Identity." In Hall, S., and du Gay, P. (eds.) Questions of Cultural Identity. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. 108­127.

Wiki Assignment #2 Due @ 11:59 p.m.

Readings:

Invisible Barriers: On Being a Female Rock Musician

The Chickenhead In Me: Hip­Hop Feminism

The Joy of Disco Sylvester: Mighty Real

Mar 9 Week 7: Writing

Definitions: Literary Canon Women’s Writing

Readings:

Lauter ­ Literary Canon Definition (On ELMS)

“Shakespeare’s Sister,” excerpted from Chapter 3 of A Room of One’s Own, by Virginia Woolf (on ELMS)

Readings: In Bad Feminist: “Beyond the

Measure of Men”

First Essay Analysis Due @ 11:59 p.m.

Readings:

Writing Romance Fiction is a Feminist Act

In Defense of Romance Novels, or Imma Read What I Want

Gay, Roxane. “Theses on the Feminist Novel.” Dissent, 61.4: 45­48.

Mar 16 Week 8: SPRING BREAK

Mar 23 Week 9: Taste and Aesthetics

Definitions: (All Covered in Wilson Reading)

Aesthetics Taste Social Capital Cultural Capital

Readings

Wilson, Carl. 2013. Chapter 7 and 8. Let’s Talk About Love: Why Other People Have Such Bad Taste. New York: Bloomsbury Academic.

Readings: Powers. Ann. “If the Girls Were All

Transported,” from Let’s Talk About Love: Why Other People Have Such Bad Taste

In Bad Feminist: “Some Jokes Are Funnier Than Others”

Definitions: Respectability

Readings:

In Bad Feminist: “The Politics of Respectability”

Memes and Misogynoir

Mar 30 Week 10: Feminist

Definitions: Popular Culture Feminist Critique

Readings: Powers, Ann. 2008. "A Spy In the

House of Love." Women and Music:

Wiki Assignment #3 Due @ 11:59 p.m.

Criticism Readings:

Dolan, Jill. 2013 Excerpts: “Introduction” and “How­To” Guide. The Feminist Spectator in Action. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

http://bechdeltest.com/

A Journal of Gender and Culture 12: 40­43.

Holmes, Linda. What Monkeys Eat: A Few Thoughts About Pop Culture Writing

Readings: In Bad Feminist: “The Solace of

Preparing Fried Foods and Other Quaint Remembrances from 1960s Mississippi: Thoughts on ‘The Help’”

Apr 6 Week 11: Bringing Them Together: Film

Readings: Film and the Construction

Identity (On ELMS) Derr, Holly. What Really Makes

a Film Feminist?

Definitions: Male Gaze

Readings:

Walters, Suzanna Danuta. 1995. Chapter Two, “Visual Pressures: On Gender and Looking.” Material Girls: Making Sense of Feminist Cultural Theory. Berkeley: University of California Press. 50­66.

Project Proposal Due @ 11:59 p.m. Readings:

Watch either Bridesmaids or Bride Wars (Choice TBD In Week 9).

Apr 13 Week 12: Body: Fashion

Definitions: The Body Fashion Subculture

Readings:

Wilson, Elizabeth . 2003. “Introduction.” Adorned in Dreams: Fashion and Modernity, London: Virago Press. 1­15.

Readings: Paoletti, Jo. “Pink is for Boys.” Pink

and Blue: Telling the Boys from the Girls in America. Bloomington, In: Indiana University Press.

Sagging Pants And The Long History Of 'Dangerous' Street Fashion

Second Essay Analysis Due @ 11:59 p.m.

Guest Lecturer: Cassy Dame­Griff

Apr 20

Definitions: Video Game

Readings: Extra Credits: The Role of the Player

Wiki Assignment #4 Due @ 11:59 p.m.

Week 13: Design: Games

Readings

Anthropy, Anna. 2012. “Chapter 1: The Problem with Video Games.” Rise of the Videogame Zinesters: How Freaks, Normals, Amateurs, Artists, Dreamers, Drop­outs, Queers, Housewives, and People Like You Are Taking Back an Art Form. Seven Stories Press.

The identity paradox: why game characters are not us, but should be

Videogames and Empathy Just Making Things and Being Alive

About it: The Queer Game Scene

Play:

Dys4ia Mainichi Depression Quest

Apr 27 Week 14: Adaption: Fandom

Definitions: Fandom Fan labor

Readings:

Coppa, Francesca. “A Brief History of Media Fandom.” In Hellekson, Karen and Busse, Kristina (eds.) Fan Fiction and Fan Communities in the Age of the Internet. Jefferson, NC: McFarland Publishers. 41­59.

Readings: Canosa, Sandra. Can Music Survive

Without the Teenybopper Fangirl? Black Girl Nerds. The Anti­Nerd Pop Culture Happy Hour, Small

Batch: The Rise Of Fan Fiction

Readings: Scott, Suzane. “Fangirls in

refrigerators: The politics of (in)visibility in comic book culture,” in Transformative Works and Cultures: Appropriating, Interpreting, and Transforming Comic Books, vol. 13

May 4 Week 15: PRESENTATIONS

PRESENTATIONS PRESENTATIONS PRESENTATIONS

May 11 Week 16:

PRESENTATIONS NO CLASS NO CLASS