At the end of this course, the students will:
This course is designed to expose students to the theoretical and practical perspectives which have informed current thinking in gender and communication. Generally, the major purpose of this course is to analyse and critique the influence of journalism, media products and popular culture on how society views women and men in the broader society they live in; and vice versa. This course critically examines the multiple relationships between gender and mass communication, specifically focusing on gender-based influences in communication between men and women, and how communication works/contents create gender roles and identities. It explores historical and theoretical issues surrounding gender construction and communication, and approaches to the study of gender. It further examines media assumptions about masculinity and femininity, media representations of women and men, coverage of gendered issues, and women and men as media professionals. It delves into ways in which communication in the media and media products; and structures in the professions of mass communication create and sustain gender roles. Analysis and discussion shall focus on the ways media create and perpetuate gender stereotypes/roles in their structures and messages, specifically focusing on the way women are depicted in media messages. The course integrates theory and practice to heighten our sensitivity to gender differences and similarities in the communication process. So, from a practical perspective, it shall examine how popular culture and journalism have helped perpetuate stereotypes of men and women. Using examples from media contents (films, broadcast news reports, television shows, internet-published articles, videos, magazine, newspapers, music recordings and literature), students will follow and examine how news reporting and filmmaking have been filtered
through the public private dichotomy lens. Through discussion and debate, students are expected to develop critical thinking skills in order to analyse the profound influence of the media and media products from mainstream and gender points of view. Particular emphasis will be placed on the historical impact of gender bias and cultural ignorance on credibility and fairness in news reporting and representation of women in other media products. The course shall also examine various relevant feminist and communication theories, both historical and contemporary; and how they can be applied to various contemporary moral and social issues from a gender perspective. Gender and Communication is a vast field. Rather than narrow down issues, the course has been designed to enable you focus on issues that you are most interested in. Part of the course requirement is for students to do their own researches and come up with well researched papers on the theme they select. Students are expected to thoroughly investigate selected topics.
