WOMEN’S STUDIES 396

LANGUAGE, GENDER, AND THE QUEER IDENTITY

INSTRUCTOR:  JIMMIE MANNING


Texts and Materials

  1. Applicable project materials.
  2. Computer access with internet capabilities.
  3. Funds to pay for various activities and events in the Lawrence community.
  4. *Nycum, B.  (2000).  Glossary.  In The XY Survival Guide.  San Francisco:  XY Publishing.
  5. Pharr, S.  (1997).  Homophobia:  A weapon of sexism.  Berkeley, CA:  Chardon.
  6. *Storey, J.  (1996).  Cultural studies and the study of popular culture:  An introduction.  In Cultural Studies and the Study of Popular Culture:  Theories and Methods.  Athens:  University of Georgia.
  7. *Hall, S.  (1997).  The work of representation.  In Representation:  Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices.  London:  Sage.
  8. *Benshoff, H. M. & Griffin, S.  (2004).  Sexualities on film since the sexual revolution.  In America on Film:  Representing Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality at the Movies.  Malden, MA:  Blackwell.
  9. *Vande Berg, L.R., Wenner, L. A., & Gronbeck, B. E.  (2004).  Cultural criticism:  General approaches.  In Critical Approaches to Television.  Boston:  Houghton Mifflin.
  10. *Storey, J.  (1996).  Popular music.  In Cultural Studies and the Study of Popular Culture:  Theories and Methods.  Athens:  University of Georgia.
  11. *Foss, S. K.  (1996).  Feminist criticism.  In Rhetorical Criticism Exploration and Practice.  Project Heights, IL:  Waveland.
  12. *Foss, S. K.  (1996).  Ideological criticism.  In Rhetorical Criticism Exploration and Practice.  Project Heights, IL:  Waveland.
  13. **Kushner, T.  (1998).  Matthew’s passion.  The Nation.  November 11.
  14. *Peper, K.  (1994).  Female athlete = lesbian:  A myth constructed from gendex role expectations and lesbiphobia.  In Queer Words, Queer Images:  Communication and the Construction of Homosexuality.  Ringer, R. J. (ed.).  New York:  New York University.
  15. **Manning, J.  (2004).  No Laughing Matter.
  16. *Slagle, R. A.  (2003).  Queer criticism and sexual normativity:  The case of Pee-Wee Herman.  In Queer Theory and Communication:  From Disciplining Queers to Queering the Discipline(s). Yep, G. A., Lovaas, K. E., & Elia, J. P. (eds.).  Binghamton, NY:  Harrington Park.
  17. *Butler, J.  (2004).  What is critique?  An essay on Foucault’s virtue.  In The Judith Butler Reader.  Salih, S. & Butler, J. (eds.).  Malden, MA:  Blackwell.
  1. Tracy, K.  (2002).  Everyday talk:  Building and reflecting identities.  New York:  Guilford.
  2. *Wiederman, M. W.  (2001).  Orientation:  What determines whether people are sexually attracted to men or women?  In Understanding Sexuality Research.  Belmont, CA:  Wadsworth.
  3. *Edgar, T.  (1994).  Self-disclosure behaviors of the stigmatized:  Strategies and outcomes for the revelation of sexual orientation.  In Queer Words, Queer Images:  Communication and the Construction of Homosexuality.  Ringer, R. J. (ed.).  New York:  New York University.
  4. *Yeoman, B.  (2004).  Gay no more?  In Sex Matters:  The Sexuality and Society Reader.  Stombler, M., et al (eds.).  Boston:  Allyn & Bacon.
  5. *Weinberg, M. S., Williams, C. J., & Pryor, D. W.  (2004).  Becoming bisexual.  In Sex Matters:  The Sexuality and Society Reader.  Stombler, M., et al (eds.).  Boston:  Allyn & Bacon.
  6. Bergling, T.  (2001).  Sissyphobia:  Gay men and effeminate behavior.  New York:  Harrington Park.
  7. Jagose, A.  (1996).  Queer theory:  An introduction.  New York:  New York University.
  8. Spargo, T.  (1999).  What Butler saw.  In Foucault and Queer Theory.  New York:  Totem.

 

* = Provided to students via KU Libraries course reserves.

** = Provided to students via Blackboard.

Students are responsible for obtaining all other materials.

 

 

Course Description

While gender roles in society are rigid, as the "queer identity" becomes a common perception in United States culture it is leading to an increased blurring of gender lines.  This course looks at how feminism and queer theory intersect to reveal truths about the queer identity.  To accomplish this, students will fully explore the gender template; examine how the term "queer" is socially constructed; identify how homophobia descends from sexism; and will gain an understanding of how third-wave feminism has incorporated (and created) queer theory.

 

Course Goals

  1. To understand the relationship between sexism and homophobia.
  2. To harvest skills in rhetorical and cultural criticism of gender representations.
  3. To learn how language impacts the construction of identity.
  4. To better understand the identity formation process in conjunction with sexual orientation and gender identity.
  5. To master the basic elements of queer theory.

 

Individual assignment details are as follow:

 

ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION (100 points, or 10%)

Success in this course is dependent upon reading and discussing materials assigned for the course.  In addition, many times in class we will view and/or listen to media, listen to other students report on various topics, or join in activities.  Because success in this class is dependent upon your attendance, students will earn an amount of points equal to the percentage of class sessions attended.  No absence will be excused from this policy, regardless of reason.  The instructor also reserves the right to deduct up to thirty points from this grade total if you are not adequately participating in classroom discussion.

 

WRITING (500 points, or 50%)

We will be doing a lot of researching and writing for this course that will ultimately result in one smaller project and one larger project.  In response to Suzanne Pharr’s book Homophobia:  A Weapon of Sexism you will write a two page essay on what you view as the relationship between homophobia and sexism.  In addition, you will also create a longer essay for the course that will explore, in-depth, a cultural artifact in terms of how it contributes to the identity formation in terms of sexual orientation and gender identity.  In order to create this longer essay, three shorter essays will be composed:  a two to four page essay describing your artifact, a five (or more) page bibliographic essay collecting what others have placed into public discourse regarding the artifact, and a one page essay describing the methods you will use to analyze your artifact.  Ultimately, the information from these essays will be used to develop a ten to fifteen page paper.  Specific point values are listed on the final page of this syllabus.

 

REPORTS (100 points, or 10%)

Each student will read an article related to sexual orientation and/or gender identity.  This article will be assigned by the instructor.  Students must locate a copy of the article, create an original and informative annotated bibliography for the article, and provide a copy of both for the instructor.  More information about this assignment will be provided on a future date.  In addition, students will be paired to create a fact sheet and brief oral report regarding a queer icon.  The duo will provide each member of the class with a copy of the fact sheet when presenting.  More details about this assignment will be provided as well.

 

EXAMS (200 points, or 20%)

Students will be given two exams in this course:  an examination regarding identity theory, and an exam regarding queer theory.  These examinations should be of minimum difficulty providing that students have been attending class and keeping up with reading assignments.

 

OUTSIDE PARTICIPATION (100 points, or 10%)

Each student will be required to attend three events outside of the classroom related to sexual orientation and/or gender identity.  A list of qualifying events will be posted to Blackboard.  Please let the instructor know if you know of an event that may qualify.

 

Tentative Class Schedule (all readings listed in parentheses should be done BEFORE the class period)

 

Jan 20              Course review – syllabus distributed and discussed; introductions

 

Jan 25              Discussion:  Homophobia and Sexism (Pharr pp. xi-26); Assignment distributed:  Icon reports

Jan 27              Discussions:  Homophobia and Women’s Liberation; How Do We Decrease Homophobia? (Pharr pp. 27-52); Assignment distributed: Homophobia and Sexism Essay

 

Feb 1               Discussions:  Common Elements of Oppression; Internalized Homophobia (Pharr pp. 53-92); Icon reports

Feb 3               Guest speaker:  Tasha Dubriwny; Discussion:  Change Since Stonewall (Pharr pp. 92-122)

 

Feb 8               Homophobia and Sexism Essay due; Discussion:  Representation, Meaning, and Language (Hall pp. 15-41); Icon reports

Feb 10             Discussion:  Discourse, Power, and the Subject (Hall pp. 41-64); Assignment distributed:  Description essay

 

Feb 15             Discussions:  Pop Culture; Sexualities and Film (Storey pp. 1-8; Benshoff & Griffin pp. 318-338)

Feb 17             Discussions:  Feminist Criticism; Ideological Criticism (Foss pp. 165-174; 291-302); Icon reports

 

Feb 22             Discussion:  Music; Cultural Criticism of Television (Storey pp. 93-112; Vande Berg, Wenner, & Gronbeck pp. 390-412)

Feb 24             Discussion:  Cultural Criticism Methods in Play (Kushner; Peper pp. 193-208); Icon reports

 

Mar 1               Discussion:  What is Critique? (Manning; Slagle pp. 129-146; Butler pp. 302-322)

Mar 3               Description Essay due; Discussion:  How Does Talk Relate to Identity?  (Tracy pp. 3-24); Assignment distributed:  Bibliographic essay

 

Mar 8               Discussion:  Rhetorical and Cultural Perspectives of Identity (Tracy pp. 25-42); Icon reports; Assignment distributed:  Article report

Mar 10             Discussion:  Person-Referencing Practices (Tracy pp. 45-61)

 

Mar 15             Discussion:  Speech Acts (Tracy pp. 62-84)

Mar 17             Bibliographic Essay due; Discussions:  Language Selection; Stance Indicators (Tracy pp. 101-110, 172-184); Assignment distributed:  Method essay

 

Mar 29             Discussion:  Narrative (Tracy pp. 148-171)

Mar 31             Lecture:  Coming Out Models; Discussion:  The Coming Out Process (Edgar pp. 221-237)

 

Apr 5               Method Essay and Article Report due; Discussion:  Determining Identity (Wiederman pp. 74-81; Yeoman pp. 17-22; Weinberg, Williams, & Pryor pp. 23-30); Assignment distributed:  Final paper

Apr 7               Discussion:  A Study Involving Identity and Sexual Orientation (Bergling pp. iii-21)

 

Apr 12             Discussion:  Coming to Terms With Identity (Bergling pp. 23-51)

Apr 14             Discussion:  Internalized Homophobia and Identity (Bergling pp. 53-75)

 

Apr 19             Guest Speaker:  Tim Bergling; Discussions:  Drag Queens; The Military (Bergling pp. 76-107)

Apr 21             Discussion:  Wrapping Up the Study (Bergling pp. 108-129); Review:  Identity Theory

 

Apr 26             Examination:  Identity Theory

Apr 28             Discussion:  Converting Same Sex Desire Into Theory (Jargose pp. 1-21)

 

May 3              Discussion:  Movements and Theory (Jargose pp. 22-57)

May 5              Final Paper due; Discussion:  Queer Theory and Identity Limits (Jargose pp. 58-71)

 

May 10            Discussion:  Defining Queer (Jargose pp. 72-100)

May 12            Discussions:  Contesting Queer; Examining Judith Butler (Jargose pp. 101-126; Spargo 52-58)

 

May 20            Examination:  Queer Theory ç 1:30-4:00 p.m.