MID-TERM

Source: www.ctrlaltdel-online.com/images/news/sony_ad.jpg


WST200: Gender & Power
Spring 2009

Mid-Term

Objectives:
1.To give form and definition to the theories, methods and practices which inform your current understanding of gender and power in historical and contemporary contexts. (This is you choosing.)

2.To move from untethered supposition and opinion to intentional, articulated, informed, engaged and specific footholds which speak to your understanding of the ways in which gender, and power relationships, are articulated as gender intersects race, class, hierarchy, patriarchy, religion, militarism, capitalism, global systems, work, labor, citizenship, and nation.

3.To engage deeply in a critical analysis practice regarding the literatures and methods examined in class thus far and to articulate more concretely an appreciation for and understanding of systemic, institutional, and structural components in social relationships.

4.To lay a foundation for the final project, and to begin to develop a critical thesis, abstract, argument and claims.

Part I—Images and the Power of the Message

Identify four images which ‘speak’ a story of gender and power. You may use web and other media sources. Provide an analysis that is engaged and using critical tools which you have had access to thus far in this course. Here is an model which you can build upon, and/or develop your own model. However, your model must have this level of complexity in terms of you are doing intersectional analysis: the INTERSECTION of gender, power, race, class, history, labor, migration, immigration, etc. Bring to class on March 23th for group evaluations.


This image raises numerous interlocking systems of power. The image stirred tremendous controversy in northern Europe where Sony launched a series of images with these two individuals in a set of physical conflict and battle. Public revolt over the ad from people of color and immigrant communities who comprise the large working and under class of Northern Europe, insisted that Sony remove the ad from public view. A student brought this ad to my attention 2 years ago, and posited its numerous problematic assertions. In the series,(not shown here, but available here. Race, sexuality, class, and religion (“Islam v. Christianity”) ‘battle’ each other in ways in these controversial ads, as they re-assert a renewed commitment by the corporate sphere (technology and media) to re-stoke the flames of race war-- new versions of old war--for gamers, a male dominated clientele. In doing so, corporations reinstate and normalize a message that violence and competition—globally--between women is a natural ‘game’ and ‘entertainment’ and a desirable and acceptable form of recreation and profit (for dominantly male corporate owners and gamers). What is noteworthy?... at the same time that the ad went public, Katrina was ravaging the Gulf states and the U.S. struggled in its own confrontation of the legacy of racism, Jim Crow and state-sponsored violence enacted specifically against people of color (dominantly African-descent and immigrants of color) in New Orleans. Sony, after contemplating the negative consequences (street riots and protests) over the “White is Back” billboard series, decided NOT to launch the same ad campaign in the United States in a post-Katrina environment. Race wars, class wars, and gender wars, as a form of public reclamation of physical, intellectual, and cultural power.

Part II: Abstract

Begin to piece together a topic, thesis statement, argument, and a few ‘cites’, meaning, sources which you will build upon as “references, citations, theoretical supports” for your final project.

Draft a well-written and proofed abstract (no more than 200 words), and bring to class March 23 to turn into me so that I can give you feedback right away. Keep a clean copy for yourself, so that you can workshop it in class. Bring Both Copies to Class on the 23rd.