170215 UE Exercise Course "Body Practices and Gender Presentations" (2023W)

From monstrous motherhood to dangerous cyborgs, sexbots and ecofeminism, there is a wide range of female representations in science fiction film and literature. The female body is often portrayed as the idealised salvation of humanity in its reproductive capacity and therefore also frequently controlled in dystopian and climate fiction narratives. At the other end of the spectrum female cyborgs in posthuman science fiction are presented as a threat and function both as an outlet of ‘allowed’ male aggression and a symbolic embodiment of the fear of the powerful woman. This course will introduce students to the science fiction genre (including subgenres such as climate fiction and cyberpunk) and posthuman theory with a focus on female representation and how the female body is portrayed. Examples will include the female robot as a threat and as a sex object, as well as concepts of reproduction and motherhood. Other topics we will address include notions of identity and technophobia. We will examine seminal films (e.g. Metropolis, Alien, Blade Runner) and will cover different genres, such as animation film (e.g. Ghost in the Shell) and film making for television. Through the analysis of our case studies we will approach different theories, including posthumanism and feminism.

Ziele
Upon successful completion of this course, students will: -Have developed more specific film-analysis skills, in particular, regarding genre. -Have developed their ability to discuss films in a written and oral manner through presentations, in-class discussions and sequence analyses. -Be familiar with the subgenres of science fiction and aware of the main arguments with regards to transhumanism and technophobia and be able to apply this knowledge to current socio-political affairs. -Have experience in critical analysis of films using different theoretical approaches such as posthumanism and feminist theory.

Methoden
Interactive lectures and seminars that include film screenings, sequence analyses and group discussions, so that students are encouraged to participate and develop confidence in building up and expressing their critical thinking. Students are given feedback which they can then incorporate in their written assignments, which reinforces their analytical skills and pursuing their own research.