Description
Three Different papers, on Three Different topics. Each paper should relate to Teaching/Education and Diverse Non Bias Classroom/Curriculum Paper 1: Language Paper 2: Special Education Paper 3: Gifted & Talented I will provide the SPECIFIC materials and resources that MUST BE USED for EACH INDIVIDUAL PAPER. Please Follow directions and Read Instructions carefully! No Plagiarism, and specific materials matching that subject MUST be used. SINGLE LINE 12 Font
MACS 299H: Superheroes: Mass Media & Representation Instructor: Brett Pardy Email: brett.pardy@ufv.ca New content will be posted each Thursday. This course is asynchronous.
Calendar Description: The 21st century has seen superheroes rise from subculture niche to dominating pop culture. This course will examine how and why superheroes’ prominent place in pop culture both reflects and shapes social and cultural trends. We will look at how superheroes are a media property that can be adapted to meet various mediums and audience demands and look at critical theories of representation through the genre’s depictions.
Learning Outcomes:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
– Describe the political economy of transmedia production
– Situate fictions within their social and historical circumstances
– Discuss superheroes in the context of media critical theory
– Demonstrate research, writing, and presentation skills
Required Text(s):
All readings will be posted on Blackboard
Schedule of Topics and Readings:
Week 1, May 7: Why are Superheroes popular? What can we learn from them?
Week 2, May 14: History of the Superhero
Reading: DiPaolo, M. (2011). “Introduction.” In War, politics and superheroes: Ethics and propaganda in comics and film (pp. 11-48). Jefferson, NC: McFarland.
Week 3, May 21: Transmedia Properties
Reading: Jenkins, H. (2006). “Introduction: ‘Worship at the altar of convergence’: A new paradigm for understanding media change” In Convergence Culture (pp. 1-24). New York, NY: New York University press.
Week 4, May 28: Changing Times, Changing Media, Changing Values
Reading: Brooker, W. (2012). The Batman matrix: Adaptation. In Hunting the dark knight: Twenty-first century Batman (pp. 44-88). New York, NY: Palgrave MacMillan.
Week 5, June 4: Blockbusters
Reading: Johnson, D. (2007). “Will the real wolverine please stand up?: Marvel’s mutation from monthlies to movies.” In Gordon, I., Jancovich, M., & McAllister, M. P. (eds.) Film and Comic Books (pp. 64-85). Jackson, MS: University of Mississippi Press.
Week 6, June 11: Mid-Term
Week 7, June 18: Batman: Superheroes and Wealth
Reading: McAllister, M. P. & Cruz, J. (2019). “Critical theory: Celebrating the rich, individualistic superhero.” In Smith, M. J., Brown, M, & Duncan, R. (eds.) More critical approaches to comics: Theories and methods. New York, NY: Routledge.
Week 8, June 25: Spider-Man: Working Class Superheroes
Readings:
DiPaolo, M. (2019). “Cultivating empathy: The subversive potential of populist comic books.” In DiPaolo, M. (ed.). Working-class comic book heroes, pp. 3-42. Jackson, MS: University of Mississippi Press.
VanDerWerff, E. (2019, July 3). Spider-Man: Far From Home turns a class-conscious hero into a tech bro. Vox. https://www.vox.com/culture/2019/7/3/20680333/spider-man-far-from- home-class-tony-stark-peter-parker-review
Week 9, July 2: Captain Marvel and Wonder Woman: Feminism
Reading: Cocca, C. (2016). “‘The sexier the outfit, the fewer questions asked’: Wonder Woman.”. In Superwomen: Gender, power and representation (pp. 25-56). New York: Bloomsbury
Week 10, July 9: Black Panther: Critical Race Theory
Readings: Cobb, J. (2018, February 18). “Black Panther and the Invention of “‘Africa’.” The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/black-panther-and-the- invention-of-Africa
Gray, J. (2018, February 13). “The liberating visions of Black Panther.” New Republic. https://newrepublic.com/article/147045/liberating-visions-black-panther
Lebron, C. (2018, February 17). “Black Panther is not the movie we deserve.” Boston Review. http://bostonreview.net/race/christopher-lebron-black-panther
Week 11: July 16 Daredevil: Superheroes and Disability
Reading: Ratto, C. M. (2017). Not superhero accessible: The temporal stickiness of disability in superhero comics. Disability studies quarterly 37(2).
Week 12, July 23: X-Men: Diversity vs Inclusion
Reading: Fawaz, R. (2016, January 18). “The difference a mutant makes.” Avidly. http://avidly.lareviewofbooks.org/2016/01/28/the-difference-a-mutant-makes/
Week 13, July 30: Avengers: Militainment
Readings: Stahl, R. (2010). “All consuming war: From spectacle to interactivity”. In Militainment, Inc.: War, media, and popular culture, pp. 20-42. New York, NY: Routledge
Baker-Whitelaw, G. (2019, March 1.) “Is Captain Marvel military propaganda?” The Daily Dot. https://www.dailydot.com/parsec/is-captain-marvel-military-propaganda/
Course Evaluation:
Assignment
% of Final Grade
Due Date
Discussion Responses, pre-mid-term
5%
Up to Week 6
Mid-Term
25%
Week 6, June 11
Discussion Lead
5%
Between Week 7 and Week 13
Discussion Responses, post mid-term
10%
Up to Week 13, July 30
Timeline Post
20%
Week 9, July 2
Critical Writing Assignment
30%
August 6
Participation
5%
Throughout the Course
Exams and Assignments:
Explicit details and a marking rubric for each assignment will be provided on Blackboard.
Participation (5%): You will earn a half mark at the end of each week for reading the week’s posted slides (up to a maximum of ten marks)
Discussions:
Discussing the week’s readings and lecture content are a major part of the course. We will divide the class into four different discussion groups and your participation in the groups will make up 20% of your grade.
Discussion Responses, pre-mid-term (5%): During the first five weeks, I will lead the discussions. After the five weeks, I will provide you feedback with what you are doing well with your responses and areas you could improve on.
Discussion Lead (5%): For one of the readings from Week 7 to Week 13, you will be responsible for starting the discussion and providing key points and questions on that article. You can sign up for a specific reading during Week 4.
Discussion Responses, post-mid-term (10%): Implementing the feedback you receive after Week 5, you will be assessed on your continuing contribution to the course discussion. More details will be provided on Blackboard.
Exam:
Mid-Term (25%): The mid term exam will cover the first 6 weeks of the course. It will consist of 25 multiple choice questions and 2 essay questions (you select from a choice of 5). It will be held throughout Week 6.
There is no Final Exam.
Assignments:
Superhero Timeline (20%):
Choosing one superhero character (hero or villain), research how various versions of the character have changed to reflect different social circumstances and demands of different mediums. For this project, consider researching what events where going on at the same time or slightly before each version of hero was created. Think about if these events had an influence on how the hero was portrayed – and if so how. Your Timeline should include a minimum of 12 events.
Academic Writing Assignment: Superheroes and Cultural Politics (30%):
Choose a superhero movie, television series, comic book, or video game and analyze how and what it communicates about gender, sexuality, race, disability, or class. In addition to one or two course readings citations, cite at least five other sources. Final essays should be approximately 1750-2000 words and are due Week 13
Guidelines for Written Assignments:
All assignments are to be uploaded to the assignment folder in Blackboard by midnight on the assigned due date listed in the Course Evaluation section above.
All written assignments must follow the following structural guidelines:
• Typed in 12-point Times New Roman font or a similar style;
• Double spaced with indented paragraphs and no additional space between paragraphs;
• Normal (2.54) margins on all sides;
• A title/cover page with your name, my name, the course number, year, and a creative title to your paper;
• Page numbers on all pages, including the title page and reference pages;
• Reference page should be formatted according to the American Psychological Association’s (APA) standard of referencing (6th edition).
A handout on how to use the APA style referencing can be found here through the UFV library: https://www.ufv.ca/media/assets/academic-success-centre/handouts/APA-Style-Guide-6th-Ed.—Feb-2019-v3.5.pdf
There is also a writing resources folder available on Blackboard
Late Policy:
Life Happens: It is your responsibility to submit assignments or work on time. However, on occasion (and rarely) life does happen and circumstances need to be accommodated. If you find yourself in a serious situation please contact me prior to the due date, preferably at least three days before, to discuss a workable solution. If a proactive request is not made or no justification is provided prior to the due date, late assignments will receive a grade of zero.
Grading System:
A+ 90 – 100% 4.33 C+ 67 – 69% 2.33
A 85 – 89% 4.0 C 63 – 66% 2.0
A- 80 – 84% 3.67 C- 60 – 62% 1.67
B+ 77 – 79% 3.33 D 50 – 59% 1.0
B 73 – 76% 3.0 F <50% 0.0
B- 70 – 72% 2.67 FD 0 0.0
Technology Requirement:
You will need access to a computer and the ability to log into Blackboard on a regular basis.
Academic and Non-Academic Student Conduct:
As stated in the Student Academic Misconduct Policy (70), academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to, plagiarism, cheating, impersonation, improper access to examination materials, falsification or unauthorized modification of an academic document/record, resubmission of work, improper research practices, obstruction of the academic activities of another, and aiding and abetting.
For additional information, please see Academic Integrity and Plagiarism.
UFV Policy 204 states, “Students are required to conduct themselves in a mature and responsible manner, consistent with the University mission, policies, and regulations and in compliance with
federal, provincial, and municipal laws. Students will be held accountable for their actions whether acting alone or in a group.”
Withdrawal:
According to Policy 81, students may choose to withdraw from a course without penalty before completing 60% of the course. Students withdrawing before they have completed 30% of the course will not receive a “W” on their transcript. Students withdrawing after completing 31% to 60% of the course will receive a “W” on their transcript. A “W” has no academic penalty and is not counted in the student’s GPA.
Late Withdrawal:
UFV Policy 81 stipulates that students, if they need to withdraw after they have completed 60% of a course, must request permission to do so. Such requests are considered based on medical or compassionate grounds and must be submitted within 4 months of the end of the course (unless a rationale can be provided for extending the deadline). Students who have completed the majority of their coursework or the final exam or final assignment will not be permitted to withdraw late.
Final Grade Appeals:
UFV Policy 217 outlines the appeal process for final grades. Please be aware that all appeals must be made within 14 days of the final grade becoming available.
For a full list of UFV policies, including those listed above, please refer to the University Secretariat website.
Student Success:
It is my aim to support each individual learner and to create learning conditions that foster success. Please do not hesitate to ask for clarification or to ask questions. If you have a course content related question, please share it in the Questions section online. Chances are if you are wondering something so are others. I will answer all course content questions in this section of Blackboard. You may find it helpful to read some of the questions and responses – even if you don’t have a specific question.
If you have a personal question or concern please email me directly. Don’t wait until you have a major problem before you get in touch. The more proactive we can be the more successful you will be.
Changing Status:
Students are expected to be aware of important Registration Dates, including course withdrawal dates. See UFV Important Registration Dates.
Student Services:
A list of services for students can be found at http://www.ufv.ca/studentservices.htm. Students with documented disabilities requiring academic and/or exam accommodation should contact Centre for Accessibility Services at the beginning of the semester to arrange the necessary accommodations. Students seeking accommodations are expected to follow the applicable Accessibility Services procedures, including making advance arrangements for exams.
Priority Access for Student Services (PASS): The UFV Priority Access to Student Supports (PASS) program connects students to the supports and resources that may help them to increase their chance of success. Such assistance may include putting students in touch with an academic advisor, financial aid, a counsellor or another resource. If your instructor is concerned about your progress, he/she may refer you to PASS. The referral is treated confidentially and is sent because your instructor cares about your progress and success in this course. Your response to PASS is entirely voluntary. If you do not wish your instructor to make a referral to PASS on your behalf, please let them know by email. www.ufv.ca/studentservices/PASS
International Peer Support:
International Peer Support provides academic and personal support to first year students who need assistance navigating through their introductory courses. The program, open to both international and domestic students, consists of peer supporters who have specific course content knowledge and can guide students with assignment or academic integrity questions. They can help clarify course work expectations and direct students to the relevant resources available on campus. International Peer Support can proactively help students be successful. For more information, contact artspeers@ufv.ca.
