Media, Discourse and Feminism

About

While feminist ideas may seem commonsensical across the world, we continue to face numerous contradictions in how gender is (re)presented, (re)shaped, and (re)negotiated in
discourses and on media platforms. The rhetoric of 'girl power' clashes with ongoing reports of rape and abuse, efforts toward all-gender representation in positions of power contrast sharply with the sexualized body images pervasive in contemporary advertising, and postfeminist ideals conflict with the rising trend of re-traditionalization on social media. Drawing on literature from gender studies, media studies, cultural studies, sociology, and linguistics, this course invites you to examine the role media play in (re)constructing gender, explore the impact of neoliberal consumer culture on shaping (gendered, racialized, and
sexualized) identities, and analyze the interplay between social media, technological changes, and gender representation. Through a range of theoretical frameworks, analytical approaches, and methodologies, the course encourages you to critically evaluate how gender stereotypes and ideologies are reinforced, challenged, and disseminated in the era of postfeminism

Course leader

Kateryna Pilyarchuk

Target group

This interdisciplinary course welcomes students with diverse research interests in the intersections of gender, media, and culture. It is particularly suited for students of gender studies, media studies, cultural studies, sociology, and linguistics who wish to deepen their understanding of how gender is represented, negotiated, and challenged in contemporary media. Participants will have the opportunity to develop a unique research project, present it to their peers during the final session, and receive constructive feedback from the instructor to refine their work before beginning their seminar paper

Course aim

Workload: 20 hours in-class / 130 hours independent study (6 ECTS)
GRADING
Final paper (10 pages = 2,500 words): 50 %
Final presentation (10 minutes): 25 %
Active in-class participation: 25 %

Fee info