WMST 0002 - Introduction to LGBT Studies/Queer Theory
http://catalog.sierracollege.edu/course-outlines/wmst-0002/
Catalog Description Also known as LGBT 1 Hours: 54 lecture Description: A broad and general exploration of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer Studies and its relationship to Feminism. Emphasis on Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity and Expression and their intersections with Race/Ethnicity, Class, the LGBT Rights movement in the United States and globally. (C-ID SJS 130) (CSU, UC) Course Student Learning Outcomes CSLO #1: Describe and analyze the philosophical underpinnings of Queer Theory as found in the writings of Nietzsche and Foucault. CSLO #2: Describe the history of the LGBT rights movement in the United States including historically significant lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals and their contributions to the movement. CSLO #3: Compare and contrast central issues and tensions between the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer movements. CSLO #4: Describe and analyze the intersection of sexual orientation and gender identity with race and ethnicity, class and other identities from a global perspective. Effective Term Fall 2025 Course Type Credit - Degree-applicable Contact Hours 54 Outside of Class Hours 108 Total Student Learning Hours 162 Course Objectives Students will, through oral and written work, 1. describe, compare and contrast the differing strains of feminism including but not limited to liberal feminism, radical feminism, cultural feminism, Marxist feminism and postmodern feminism; 2. describe the feminist divorce of the social from the biological and the "non-essential" nature of gender; 3. define, compare and contrast essentialism and social constructionism; 4. describe, compare and contrast, and evaluate essentialist approaches to gender versus social constructionist approaches to gender; 5. compare and contrast various global understandings of orientations and identities, as well as policies and laws regarding those orientations and identities; 6. compare and contrast various understandings of orientations and identities within the United States, e.g. Native American, African American, Chicano/a and Latino/a, Asian American, Pacific Islander, Rural and Metropolitan, as well as policies and laws regarding those orientations and identities 7. describe the history of the LGBT Rights movement and the ways that public policies regarding health, rights, incarceration, have intersected with that movement; 8. chart the emergence of Gay and Lesbian studies as the academic arm of the gay rights movement; 9. describe, compare and contrast, and evaluate essentialist approaches to sexuality versus social constructionist approaches to sexuality; 10. compare and contrast Gay and Lesbian Studies with Queer Theory; 10. describe the oeuvre of both Nietzsche and Heidegger and the nascent roots of Postmodernism found therein; 11. trace both Postmodernism and Social Construction theory as they progress from the genealogical works of Nietzsche and the early Existential works of Heidegger to Foucault's History of Sexuality and Derrida's deconstructionism; 12. examine and evaluate Queer Politics including Race and Sexual Difference, Separatism vs. Unity, and LGBT community issues; 13. examine and evaluate Queer readings of contemporary film and television; 14. examine and evaluate Queer readings of contemporary music; 15. examine and evaluate Queer readings of contemporary dress, fashion and appearance; 16. create a Queer reading of some contemporary popular culture artifact. General Education Information Approved College Associate Degree GE Applicability AA/AS - Social Sciences AA/AS - Multicultural Studies CSU GE Applicability (Recommended-requires CSU approval) CSUGE - D4 Gender Studies Cal-GETC Applicability (Recommended - Requires External Approval) Cal-GETC 4 - Social and Behavioral Sciences IGETC Applicability (Recommended-requires CSU/UC approval) IGETC - 4D Gender Studies Articulation Information CSU Transferable UC Transferable Methods of Evaluation Classroom Discussions Example: In small groups, construct one solid paragraph that represents the response for your group to the film "How to Survive a Plague." Your paragraph must have a strong, descriptive thesis that represents the response of each individual in your group. The remainder of your paragraph should be devoted to explaining/justifying that thesis. After each group has read their paragraph aloud to the entire class, students will have the opportunity to a) ask clarifying questions of other groups, i.e., When you said, "x," what did you mean by that?, b) make agreement/disagreement statements to other groups, i.e., I disagree with your claim that x or I agree with your claim y. Agreement/disagreement statements should also be supported by one or two pieces of evidence from the film. Groups will have the opportunity to briefly respond, citing evidence from the film. Essay Examinations Example: On an essay exam, students will be asked to select one film from a provided list and a) explain the historical time frame in which the film was produced, b) describe the key characteristics of the film/narrative that place the film within that time frame, and c) evaluate the film as if it were produced in today's cinema. The exam question will be graded in accordance with an instructor-prepared rubric. Objective Examinations Example: _____1. Traditional transnarrative _____2. Genderqueer _____3. Gender binary _____4. Transman _____5. Transwoman A. Posits that the world comes in two types of people: male and female. B. Assigned the sex of male at birth but currently identifying/expressing female. C. Assigned the sex of female at birth but currently identifying/expressing male. D. Rejects the gender binary and places everyone on a scale from masc to fem. E. Accepts the gender binary and understands self as having transitioned. Projects Example: The project for this course requires you to create a ten page graphic novel. Each page may have up to six frames or as few as one large frame. The size of the frame should be used to designate significance of the scene. For examples of what a graphic novel is, go to a local bookstore and look up Maus or Maus II, Persepolis or Persepolis II, or any other graphic novel series like Preacher or Lucifer, etc. Your graphic novel should include the following: - A presentation of a queer approach to some element of culture. You may use "camp" or "hyper-exaggeration" to accentuate the queer reading of culture that you are presenting. Your topic may be a television show, a series, a movie, a genre of movies, popular dress or advertising, theology or popular spiritual movements, etc. - A story, situation or context in which the queer reading of culture arises and is developed. - Yes, artwork of some sort to match the dialogue and action. (You will not be graded based upon your artwork.) - A two page explanatory essay describing the significance and meaning of your graphic novel. - An oral presentation to the class describing the significance and meaning of your graphic novel. Projects will be graded in accordance with an instructor-prepared rubric. Reports Example: For this position paper, you will be required to compare and contrast the essentialist approach to the study of sexuality (as presented in the copies packet essay on the potential biological origins of homosexuality) with the social constructionist view of sexuality (as described in Foucault's History of Sexuality, volume 1). Are these views mutually exclusive? Which approach do you believe to be most primary and why? The formal requirements for this paper are as follows: Three page maximum, typed, double-spaced, size 12 font, title page and stapled in the upper right hand corner. This is a formal paper assignment. Repeatable No Methods of Instruction Lecture/Discussion Distance Learning Lecture: The instructor will use trigger films such as episodes of PeeWee's Playhouse and films such as Cuckor's The Women, accompanied by small group discussions and classroom discussions on queer readings of these films. These discussions would involve the application of theory to popular culture and be based upon models of such application provided in texts such as Alexander Doty's Making Things Perfectly Queer. Students will describe and recognize aspects of LGBTQ+ culture, and explain their origins in societal context. Instructor lecture on the origins of Queer Theory in the philosophical works of Nietzsche, Heidegger, Foucault, Feminist Philosophy and its Postmodern turn. Students will then compare and contrast lecture topics. Distance Learning The instructor will facilitate small group discussions of LGBTQ+ Political events, tracing their origins to philosophical assumptions, and have students, in oral and written work, evaluate them from an intersectional perspective. Typical Out of Class Assignments Reading Assignments 1. Read Audre Lourde's "Sister Outside" and be prepared to discuss both the strengths and struggles of living at the intersection of multiple identities, e.g., being black, female and lesbian. 2. Read "Bi-America" and create a list of misunderstandings that the heterosexual community has about bisexual identities and a separate list of misunderstandings that the lesbian and gay community has about bisexual identities. 3. Read "Body Counts" and be prepared to discuss seven big social activism events in the history of the AIDS epidemic in terms of context that ignited the event, participants in the event and consequences following from the event. Writing, Problem Solving or Performance 1. Paper or Video Assignment: Write a four to five page paper or record a ten minute video on one of the following topics: A) Why is Stonewall hailed as the start of the LGBT Rights movement in the United States rather than the Black Cat Riots, the Compton Riots, or the Cooper's Donuts Riots. B) List, explain and evaluate five important events after the Stonewall Riots in the history of the LGBT Rights movement in the United States. 2. Writing Assignment: Construct an essay describing the strengths and weaknesses claimed by Audre Lourde to follow from being a black, lesbian woman at the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement, the "Gay" Rights Movement and the Women's Rights Movement. Do you agree with Lourde? Why or why not? Other (Term projects, research papers, portfolios, etc.) 1. Create a chart illustrating the theoretical progression from Feminism and Gay and Lesbian Studies to Queer Theory. 2. Create a chart delineating similarities and differences between traditional approaches to Christ and the Gospels and queer approaches to Christ and the Gospels. Required Materials Transgender History Author: Susan Stryker Publisher: Seal Press Publication Date: 2017 Text Edition: 2nd Classic Textbook?: OER Link: OER: The ABCs of LGBT Author: Ashley Mardell Publisher: Mango Press Publication Date: 2016 Text Edition: 1st Classic Textbook?: OER Link: OER: Live Through This: Surviving the Intersections of Sexuality, God and Race Author: Clay Cane Publisher: Cleis Press Publication Date: 2017 Text Edition: Classic Textbook?: OER Link: OER: The Heart's Invisible Furies Author: John Boyne Publisher: Hogarth Press Publication Date: 2018 Text Edition: Classic Textbook?: OER Link: OER: Audre Lourde Author: Sister Outsider Publisher: Crossing Press Publication Date: 2007 Text Edition: Classic Textbook?: OER Link: OER: Beyond the Binary: Thinking about Sex and Gender Author: Shannon Dea Publisher: Broadview Press Publication Date: 2023 Text Edition: 2nd Classic Textbook?: OER Link: OER: Other materials and-or supplies required of students that contribute to the cost of the course.
LGBT 0002 - Queer (LGBTIQ) Film History
http://catalog.sierracollege.edu/course-outlines/lgbt-0002/
Catalog Description Formerly known as HUM 26 Hours: 72 (36 lecture, 36 activity) Description: Historical representations of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer sexualities in mainstream commercial cinema, as well as underground and independent films, from the silent era to the present. Examines theoretical approaches to the study of queer cinema, the way social attitudes shape cultural representation, and the relationship between audience interpretation and filmmakers' intentions. An emphasis on the way that sexual orientation/gender identity intersects with race/ethnicity and socioeconomic background. (CSU, UC) Course Student Learning Outcomes CSLO #1: Define and describe Queer Film, the ways that films can be categorized as Queer and compare/contrast representative films in the genre. CSLO #2: Compare and contrast representations of queer characters in film over time. CSLO #3: Describes and analyze the relationship between queer films and dominant culture in terms of reception and impact in diverse types of assessments. CSLO #4: Describe and analyze the intersection of sexual orientation and gender identity with race and ethnicity, class and other identities. Effective Term Fall 2021 Course Type Credit - Degree-applicable Contact Hours 72 Outside of Class Hours 90 Total Student Learning Hours 162 Course Objectives Lecture Objectives: 1. Identify, interpret and analyze queer films in cultural, social, political, and critical contexts; 2. Examine historical trends in representations of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Intersex, Transgender, and Queer Sexualities in mainstream commercial films and in independent films; 3. Compare and contrast Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer focused films from historical, political, sociological and artistic frameworks; 4. Compare and contrast constraints on representations and film production between Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer contexts; 5. Examine the necessity of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer translation in early films whereby Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer persons read their own lives into films for mass consumption; 6. Describe the historical transition to films focused explicitly on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex themes; 7. Describe the changing representations of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer characters in film; 8. Identify and analyze differences and similarities between different genres, types, and periods of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer film; 9. Compare and contrast domestic commercial film representations and international representations of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer persons; 10. Describe the myriad ways that social attitudes shape and challenge cultural representations as well as the way these representations, in turn, shape social attitudes; and 11. Compare and contrast audience interpretation with filmmakers' intentions in the film experience. Activity Objectives: 1. Identify, interpret, and analyze representations of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer sexualities/persons, both metaphorical and explicit; 2. Identify historical trends of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer representation in film; 3. Interpret, analyze, and evaluate films in terms of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, and Queer equality or fear of such individuals; 4. Communicate analyses, interpretations and critiques of single films or several films by the same filmmaker, or to several closely related films in class discussion and in required essays and exams; 5. Compare and contrast the ways that new Queer Cinema grapples with lives at the intersection of multiple identities, e.g., gender, race and ethnicity, class, religious affiliation, political affiliations, and nationalities. General Education Information Approved College Associate Degree GE Applicability AA/AS - Literature & Language AA/AS - Multicultural Studies CSU GE Applicability (Recommended-requires CSU approval) CSUGE - C2 Humanities Cal-GETC Applicability (Recommended - Requires External Approval) IGETC Applicability (Recommended-requires CSU/UC approval) IGETC - 3B Humanities Articulation Information CSU Transferable UC Transferable Methods of Evaluation Classroom Discussions Example: In small groups, construct one solid paragraph that represents the response for your group to the film "Rope." Your paragraph must have a strong, descriptive thesis that represents the response of each individual in your group. The remainder of your paragraph should be devoted to explaining/justifying that thesis. Put your names on your paragraph as you will be turning it in to me for credit. After each group has read their paragraph aloud to the entire class, students will have the opportunity to a) ask clarifying questions of other groups, i.e. When you said, "x," what did you mean by that?, b) make agreement/disagreement statements to other groups, i.e. I disagree with your claim that x or I agree with your claim y. Agreement/disagreement statements should also be supported by one or two pieces of evidence from the film. Groups will have the opportunity to briefly respond, citing evidence from the film. Discussions will be graded in accordance with an instructor prepared rubric. Essay Examinations Example: On an essay exam, students will be asked to select one film from a provided list and a) explain the historical time frame in which the film was produced, b) describe the key characteristics of the film/narrative that place the film within that time frame, and c) evaluate the film as if it were produced in today's cinema. The exam question will be graded in accordance with an instructor-prepared rubric. Objective Examinations Example: Which of the following is not a criterion used to determine whether a film is a queer film according to our class textbook? A. The film has a queer director or star. B. The film is received by a queer audience in a way that they are particularly situated to understand C. The film has queer characters. D. Each of the above is a criterion that would designate a film as a queer film according to the class text. Projects Example: The project for this course requires you to create a ten page graphic novel. Each page may have up to six frames or as few as one large frame. The size of the frame should be used to designate significance of the scene. For examples of what a graphic novel is, go to a local bookstore and look up Maus or Maus II, Persepolis or Persepolis II, or any other graphic novel series like Preacher or Lucifer, etc. Your graphic novel should include the following: - A presentation of a queer approach to some element of culture. You may use "camp" or "hyper-exaggeration" to accentuate the queer reading of culture that you are presenting. Your topic may be a television show, a series, a movie, a genre of movies, popular dress or advertising, theology or popular spiritual movements, etc. - A story, situation or context in which the queer reading of culture arises and is developed. - Yes, artwork of some sort to match the dialogue and action. (You will not be graded based upon your artwork.) - A two page explanatory essay describing the significance and meaning of your graphic novel. - An Oral presentation to the class describing the significance and meaning of your graphic novel. Projects will be graded in accordance with an instructor-prepared rubric. Student work will be graded in accordance with an instructor prepared rubric. Reports Example: In a paper assignment, students will be asked to select a mainstream commercial film that is not explicitly queer, but to provide a reading of the film that is queer. Students will be provided with several examples beforehand of Queering a film or TV show such as Mary and Rhoda from the Mary Tyler Moore Show, Lucy and Ethel from I Love Lucy, Lenny and Squiggy or Laverne and Shirley from the Laverne and Shirley Show. Queering a film requires critical analysis of the key elements of the film but emphasizes some aspects over others. A Queer Reading is not a creative twisting of the story but a legitimate interpretation of a film that could be experienced by a Queer audience regardless of the producer's/director's intent. This assignment will be graded in accordance with a rubric similar to the following: 1. The paper is well-written and proofread. It contains very few grammatical errors and misspelled words. It utilizes paragraphing structure and well-formed sentences. A well-formed and clearly expressed thesis statement guides the paper. The paper backs up the thesis statement with sound reasoning. 2. The information included is correct based upon the texts covered. 3. The information provided is thorough given the page restrictions. 4. The paper infuses specific information from the texts and classroom discussions throughout the answer. Repeatable No Methods of Instruction Activity Lecture/Discussion Distance Learning Activity: Professor will show clips from classic films, e.g. The Maltese Falcon, and ask the class to list the clues that the director embedded to communicate that a character was queer. Lecture: Professor will show the class a film clip. S/he will then pair students and ask them to note places where the shots in the film emphasized power and lack of power in characters. The professor will then ask student pairs to present one idea to the class after viewing and discussing with each other. The professor will then facilitate a classroom-wide discussion regarding the ways that camera shots can distinguish powerful characters from powerless characters. Professor will provide students with a timeline of key events in the LGBTIQ rights movement in the United States and ask students to place a series of films on that timeline. S/he will then facilitate a compare/contrast discussion on the whiteboard that captures student insights regarding the relationship between culture/politics and the production of these films. Distance Learning Based upon the assigned readings, lecture slides and video, and handouts provided by instructor, students will compare and contrast various films with regards to a) why the film is considered a Queer Film, b) Intended Audience, c) Explicitness of Queer Content and d) Point of view in a discussion board. Typical Out of Class Assignments Reading Assignments 1. Read Vito Russo's "The Celluloid Closet" and be prepared to discuss in class. 2. Read and the chapter on "Lucy and Ethe" from "Making Things Perfectly Queer" and be prepared to discuss in class. Writing, Problem Solving or Performance 1. Based upon your reading of "The Celluloid Closet," create a chart that compares and contrasts the following trends in Gay Representation: a) The Asexual Sissy, b) The Unspoken Gay, c) Gay as Threat, d) Gay as Comic Relief, e) Gay as Focus. 2. Select a mainstream Hollywood film and write a three-page, double-spaced essay in which you "Queer" the film. Be sure to keep your essay tied to the facts of the film, but view it from a queer perspective and to make your analysis specific. On a fourth page, provide a detailed evaluation of your paper: Did you successfully queer this film? What are the strengths and weaknesses of your effort? 3. In a three-page, double-spaced paper compare and contrast either The Children's Hour or Suddenly, Last Summer (two films produced under the Hayes' Code) with either Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss or D.E.B.s. Other (Term projects, research papers, portfolios, etc.) Required Materials The Celluloid Closet Author: Vito Russo Publisher: Harper and Roe Publication Date: 1995 Text Edition: Classic Textbook?: OER Link: OER: Queer Media Images Author: Jane Campbell Publisher: Lexington Books Publication Date: 2015 Text Edition: Classic Textbook?: OER Link: OER: Queer Images: A History of Gay and Lesbian Film in America Author: Harry Benshoff Publisher: Rowman and Littlefield Publication Date: 2005 Text Edition: Classic Textbook?: OER Link: OER: 50 Years of Queer Cinema Author: Darwin Porter and Danforth Prince Publisher: Blood Moon Productions Publication Date: 2010 Text Edition: Classic Textbook?: OER Link: OER: Strangers on a Train: A Queer Film Classic Author: Jonathon Goldberg Publisher: Arsenal Pulp Press Publication Date: 2012 Text Edition: Classic Textbook?: OER Link: OER: Other materials and-or supplies required of students that contribute to the cost of the course.
Humanities
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...to Atheism LGBT 0001 Introduction to LGBT Studies/Queer Theory ( WMST 0002 ) LGBT 0002 Queer...
Sociology
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...Women in American History LGBT 0002 Queer (LGBTIQ) Film History SOC 0002 Social Problems SOC...
LGBT 0002. Queer (LGBTIQ) Film History
Units: 3
Formerly known as HUM 26
Hours: 72 (36 lecture, 36 activity)
Historical representations of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer sexualities in mainstream commercial cinema, as well as underground and independent films, from the silent era to the present. Examines theoretical approaches to the study of queer cinema, the way social attitudes shape cultural representation, and the relationship between audience interpretation and filmmakers' intentions. An emphasis on the way that sexual orientation/gender identity intersects with race/ethnicity and socioeconomic background. (CSU, UC)
WMST 0002. Introduction to LGBT Studies/Queer Theory
Units: 3
Also known as LGBT 1
Hours: 54 lecture
A broad and general exploration of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer Studies and its relationship to Feminism. Emphasis on Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity and Expression and their intersections with Race/Ethnicity, Class, the LGBT Rights movement in the United States and globally. (C-ID SJS 130) (CSU, UC)
