The definition of gender and sexuality are incredibly fluid and ever changing. The media role in all this is where these definitions are shaped, represented, and performed. The variety of questions explored by this module range from; do men and women produce different kinds of news? Are we currently experiencing a sexualisation of culture? What does the construction of gender and sexuality in the media tells us about ourselves? Its goal is to aid you in developing your awareness of a range of subjects relevant to media, gender, and sexuality. The module will cover issues such as gender in the news, masculinity in the movies, and the construction of gender roles in advertising.   

• Detail how the media has represented gender and sexuality in the past and present.
• Articulate how these representations are manifested and found in different types of media.
• Describe how these representation have come about
• Situate these representations within the broader field of Gender Studies.
• Reflect on how media representations of gender and sexuality impact on your own identity. 

This course consists of nine units. Each unit comprises a 2-hour face-to-face session between 7pm and 9pm. These sessions will include lectures, class discussions and debates, pair-work and group-work, source analysis activities and exercises to develop your academic skills. There will also be a strong emphasis on learning outside of the classroom, facilitated by the university’s Virtual learning Environment, Learning Central.

• The ability to communicate ideas and arguments effectively, whether in class discussion or in written form.
• The ability to work effectively with others in groups and to learn collaboratively through discussion and interaction.
• The ability to think critically, analyse sources, evaluate arguments and challenge assumptions.
• The ability to formulate and justify your own arguments and conclusions and present appropriate supporting evidence.
• The ability to locate relevant resources in the library and online and use them appropriately in academic work.
• The ability to use a range of information technology resources to assist with information retrieval and assignment presentation.
• The ability to independently organise study methods, manage time effectively, and prioritise workload to meet deadlines.

How the module will be assessed

Formative assessment / feedback will occur on a weekly basis through class discussion and group work.

Type of assessment                       % Contribution    Title    Duration  (if applicable)    Approx. date of Assessment Submission
Assignment 1 (Short reflection)    25%    Exact nature of task will vary from year to year    300 words    Week 4
Assignment 2 (Essay)                  75%    Exact nature of task will vary from year to year    1200 words    1 week after final session

The opportunity for reassessment in this module

Students who fail one or more assessment elements will be given the opportunity to re-submit coursework in response to different titles over the summer once the Our Media, Our World exam board has met in June

1. History of Gender

This introductory session will take you through the history of gender and sexuality and its representation up until the 20^th Century.

2. How to Study Gender and Sexuality

This lecture will cover the different ways in which gender and sexuality have been studied in the field of media and communications.

3. Gender in the News

This session will look at the gender divides in the news industry and discuss how gender is represented in everyday news.

4. Gender, Sexuality and Identity

This session will take a closer look at how gender and sexual identification impact upon the individual and their own sense of self.

5. Masculinity at the Movies

This session looks at how a different types of masculinity has been portrayed in film.

6. Advertising and the Construction of Gender Roles

This session takes the medium of advertising and looks critically at how the assumed roles of gender have been pushed in order to sell consumer products.

7. Gender, Race and Class

This session looks at gender and sexuality from the perspectives of race and class and how these different societal and cultural background impact upon identity.

8. Gendered Audiences

The assumptions made by media companies about a ‘womens’/’mens’ audience will be challenged in this session.

9. Performing Gender and Sexuality in the Digital World

The digital space has allowed for a different avenue in the construction of identity, and this session will examine this through the lens of gender and sexuality. 

Essential Reading:

Beynon, J. (2002) Masculinities and Culture, Buckingham: Open University Press.

Carter, C., Steiner, L. and McLaughlin, L. (eds) (2014) The Routledge Companion to Media and Gender, London: Routledge.

Gill, R. (2007) Gender and the Media, Cambridge: Polity.

Pilcher, J. and Whelehan, I. (2004) 50 Key Concepts in Gender Studies, London: Sage.

Urwin, J. (2016) Man Up: Surviving Modern Masculinity, London: Icon Books.

Watson, E. (ed) (2009) Pimps, Wimps, Studs, Thugs and Gentlemen: Essays on Media Images of Masculinity, Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co.

Recommended Reading:

Allan, S. (2011, 3^rd edn.). “The Gendered Realities of Journalism,” News Culture, Buckingham: Open University Press, 145-170.

Bates, L. (2014) Everyday Sexism, London: Simon & Shuster.

Benwell, B. (2003) Masculinity and Men’s Lifestyle Magazines, Oxford: Wiley Blackwell.

Bradley, H. (2007) Gender: Key Concepts, Cambridge: Polity.

Carter, C. and Steiner, L. (2004) Critical Readings: Media and Gender, Maidenhead: Open University Press.

Chambers, D., Steiner, L. and Fleming, C. (2004) Women and Journalism, London: Routledge.

Durham, G. (2009) The Lolita Effect: The Media Sexualization of Young Girls and What We Can Do About It, New York: Overlook Press.

Garcia-Favaro, L. and Gill, R. (2016) “’Emasculation Nation has Arrived’: Sexism Rearticulated in Online Responses to Lose the Lads’ Mags Campaign,” Feminist Media Studies, vol. 16, no. 3.

hooks, b (2004) We Real Cool: Black Men and Masculinity, London: Routledge.

McRobbie, A. (2009) The Aftermath of Feminism: Gender, Culture and Social Change, London: Sage.

Mendes, K. (2011) Feminism in the News, London: Palgrave.

Mendes, K. (2015) Slutwalk: Feminism, Activism and Media, London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Milestone, K. and Meyer, A. (2012) “Representing Men,” Gender & Popular Culture, Cambridge: Polity, 113-145.

Olson, C.C. (2016) “#BringBackOurGirls: Digital Communities Supporting Real-World Change and Influencing Mainstream Media Agendas,” Feminist Media Studies, vol. 16, no 5, 772-787

Ross, K. (2009) Gendered Media: Women, Men and Identity Politics, Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.

Ross, K. and Byerly, C. (eds) (2004) Women and Media: International Perspectives, Oxford: Wiley Blackwell.