This course examines theoretical concepts and themes of gender through the lens of the Humanities; including, but not limited to: literature, philosophy, film, communication studies, and popular culture. The course synthesizes historical and social analyses into inquiry about the human experience and expression of gender. Specifically, we will examine issues such as: language, media's treatment of gender, gender and power, and other topics in gender theory relating each of these to the formation of our gendered and human identities.
1. Gain a theoretical as well as experiential understanding of how the concepts of sex, gender, and sexuality affect human communication and, in turn, how communication affects our understanding of these concepts;
2. Come to a broad definition of ‘sex’, ‘gender’, and ‘sexuality’; as well as understand how these concepts connect with our sense of personal identity, verbal and nonverbal behavior;
3. Explore the effects of media images on the construction of identities, and how much of our sense of self is contrasted and compared to popular media images;
4. Demonstrate knowledge of basic terms and concepts as they relate to the issues of cultural invention and representation of masculinities and femininities; and
5. Critically examine contemporary sex and gender theories utilizing tools of philosophical argumentation and analysis.
