Universität Wien
Warning! The directory is not yet complete and will be amended until the beginning of the term.

124221 SE Cultural and Media Studies Seminar (2022W)

Are Superheroes Democratizing Masculinity Practices? Superhero Narratives and Doing Gender

11.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 12 - Anglistik
Continuous assessment of course work
Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 18 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

Dear Students,

Attendance in the first session is mandatory for all registered students! If you are absent without excuse you lose your place in the seminar!
As of now the plan is that this seminar will be ON SITE and IN PERSON. If the Covid 19 situation changes, so will the conditions of this lecture series.
Please keep this in mind.

  • Friday 14.10. 14:15 - 15:45 Raum 4 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-19
  • Friday 28.10. 14:15 - 15:45 Raum 4 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-19
  • Friday 04.11. 14:15 - 15:45 Raum 4 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-19
  • Friday 11.11. 14:15 - 15:45 Raum 4 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-19
  • Friday 18.11. 14:15 - 15:45 Raum 4 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-19
  • Friday 25.11. 14:15 - 15:45 Raum 4 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-19
  • Friday 02.12. 14:15 - 15:45 Raum 4 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-19
  • Friday 09.12. 14:15 - 15:45 Raum 4 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-19
  • Friday 16.12. 14:15 - 15:45 Raum 4 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-19
  • Friday 13.01. 14:15 - 15:45 Raum 4 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-19
  • Friday 20.01. 14:15 - 15:45 Raum 4 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-19
  • Friday 27.01. 14:15 - 15:45 Raum 4 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-19

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

This seminar class puts focus on masculinity practices they way they appear in superhero narratives. Its object of study are both superhero comics and their adaptations to the movie screen. Through the lens of gender, masculinity and queer studies these texts are discussed and investigated, asking the question; do superhero narratives democratize masculinity practices? Do they uphold old patriarchal modes of masculinity or do they subvert ideas and images about ‘doing’ masculinity?
Masculinity as a gender practice is best understood as ‘a vague set of ideas, demands, stories and images about being a man’. Sociologist Raewyn Connell clarifies that “no masculinity arises except in a system of gender relations”(Connell, 1995). She identifies a hierarchy of masculinities: from its hegemonic version to its complicit, subordinate and marginalized varieties. Straight, white men usually occupy the hegemonic position whereas gay men have to content themselves with the subordinate and men of color with the marginalized position.

Assessment and permitted materials

In-class and preparatory participation (e.g. active in-class participation, group task): 15%
Expert group session: 20%
Research proposal (700 words +/-10%) with annotated bibliography: 15%
Seminar paper (6500-8000 words +/-10%, word count excluding bibliography): 50%
Overall Score of 100%, pass-mark 60%

Final Mark-Scale:
1: 100-90%
2: 89-80%
3: 79-70%
4: 69-60%
5: 59-0%

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

In order to pass, you need to fulfill each individual requirement and complete tasks on time. Late submissions cannot be accepted. You can miss two classes.
The plagiarism detection software Turnitin will be used on most written assignments (research proposal, seminar paper).

Examination topics

Individual class requirements (paper proposal, seminar paper, in-class presentations).

Reading list

Comics List:
Tales of Suspense #39: “Iron Man is born!”(Stan Lee&Gene Colan, 1963)
Tales of Suspense #59: “Captain America!”(Stan Lee&Jack Kirby, 1964)
Captain America #117: “The Coming of the Falcon!”(Stan Lee&Gene Colan, 1969)
Fantastic Four #52: “The Black Panther!”(Stan Lee&Jack Kirby, 1966)
Sam Wilson:Captain America - Not my Captain America (Spencer/Acuna/Renaud, 2016)
Black Panther: The Most Dangerous Man alive! (List/Paolo, 2012)
Movie/TV Show List:
Iron Man(Jon Favreau, 2008)
The Avengers (Joss Whedon, 2012)
Captain America:The Winter Soldier (Anthony&Joe Russo, 2012)
Iron Man Three (Shane Black, 2013)
Black Panther (Ryan Coogler, 2018)
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (Kari Skogland, 2021)

Association in the course directory

Studium: BA 612, MA 844; MA 844(2);
Code/Modul: BA 09.2; MA6, MA7; MA 844(2) 4.1, 4.2;
Lehrinhalt: 12-0405

Last modified: Th 06.10.2022 17:28