CMNS 452 Su11 syllabus - SFU Wiki

Race and the Media
Communication 452
Summer 2011
Dr. Peter Chow-White
Meetings: Tues/Thurs 8:30AM to 12:20PM, WMC3220
Contact: petercw@sfu.ca 778.782.7289 K9652
Office: Tues/Thurs 1:30-2:30PM and by appt.
TA: Marcos Moldes mdm19@sfu.ca
Description
Media, entertainment, and the arts are key sites of production and conduits for the
circulation of cultural signs and stories about race and ethnicity. These signs and
stories form a system of meanings that structure how we see social identities and
frame our actions. While film, music, television, news, art, the Internet, video
games, and sports have been converging under the title of entertainment, they
permeate the most intimate aspects of our everyday lives and our social institutions.
Through watching movies, listening to music, and surfing the web, this course will
examine the construction and maintenance of race and ethnicity in North American
culture. It will provide grounding in scholarship on race, ethnicity, and identity,
explore the historical role of entertainment in racialization, investigate contemporary
issues and forms of media, and consider the impacts of globalization. Images in the
media represent sites of struggle over the meaning of race and how it interacts with
other forms of difference, such as gender, class, and sexuality. At stake in this
ongoing negotiation is who we are as a society and individuals, and who we can
become.
Course Organization
This course consists of a 4-hour seminar.
Course Requirements*
Prospectus 10 %
Final Paper 40 %
Presentation 12 %
Participation 20 %
Mini blogs 18 %
*All assignments must be completed in order to pass the course
Readings
You will find all of the information about CMNS 452/855 including the readings on the
course wiki. It will also act as a community space. So, check it often for course
updates and other information.
wiki.sfu.ca/summer11/cmns452d100

Attendance/Participation
This course covers a lot of ground in thirteen weeks and we have a lot of work to do
together. First off (and so important), attendance is mandatory. Making it to class
(on time!) and being present for the discussions is a large part of being successful in
this class. Second, group discussion is a central aspect of our daily class life, so
please come prepared to talk about the readings and issues of the day. Being an
upper level seminar, the expectation is that you will read all the readings for each
week, and contribute meaningfully to the discussion. Class participation is worth
20%.
Mini Blog
You will upload a “mini blog” (your summary of the article(s) in a few sentences) to
the course wiki by midnight before class (see “readings” page in the wiki for mini
blog links). The mini blogs are not graded but they are worth 18%/18 points of your
final grade. You will receive 3 points if the post is on time, 1 point if it is late, and 0
for missing a post. You do not have to make a post the class you are presenting (so,
you do 6 out of 7 topics).
For this course to be successful you need to be present in class, attentive and
respectful of others, contribute to the discussion in a constructive and productive
manner, and participate in the class wiki.
Course Resource Pages
There are a number of resources on the wiki on the “Course Documents” page. One
of the fantastic advantages of a wiki is that everyone in the course can contribute
and past classes have started to build bibliographic and other lists to share with each
other and future students. We will continue to build on this community effort. You
will be required to contribute to the resource pages as part of your participation
grade. 5/10 of your participation grade will be based on your contribution to the
“resource pages” on the wiki (which is 5% of your overall grade). Your contribution is
due the same time as the final paper.
Prospectus and Term Paper
In addition to the mini blogs, writing for this course consists of two main parts: the
paper prospectus and the term paper. The prospectus (no more than 3 pages, not
including the references) is due at the beginning of class on Class 9 (June 7). In it,
you will outline the topic and give a supporting rationale for choosing it. You will also
include theoretical perspectives, empirical site of study, and potential secondary
sources (bibliography). You are also required to include 1 or 2 guiding research
questions and a working title. At this point, you should be in dialogue with Marcos
and I about how to approach reading, researching, organizing, and writing about
your topic. The prospectus is graded. The term paper (3000 words) is due at the
end of the term (see the wiki for the date).
Submission of the prospectus and term paper must be in both paper and electronic
form. Submissions will not be considered complete until a hard copy and an
electronic copy are received. Both assignments will be further outlined in class.
Presentations
Students will work in groups to prepare a short discussion/presentation at a seminar
for one of the days of the course schedule. You will be assigned a set of readings
from one of the day’s of the course and must formulate a set of questions that are
engaging enough to ensure class discussion. You will also be required to draw on the
media screened in the previous class and identify and utilize outside media artifacts

of popular culture (such as a film or television show) to ground your exploration of
the theme of the week and the readings to prompt (or provoke) group discussion.
The purpose of this assignment is to provide you with the opportunity to develop
your critical reading skills, make formal presentations to the class and lead class
discussion. Evaluation of your presentation is based on four elements:
• Your thematic treatment of the issues and controversies from the collection of
papers and/or chapters with interpretation, implications, context (including
chronological context), conclusions (no annotated bibliographies!).
• Your production and management of class discussion of provocative questions
(see “Tip” below).
• A ‘game/activity’ that involves the class (see “course resources” on the wiki).
• Uploading your presentation materials to the course wiki. The instructions for
the game/activity go in the “course resources” section.
Tip: Try to avoid the question, “So what do you think” When using media, you need
to set up the clip by unpacking the issues, theories, and/or concepts from the
readings, introduce the clip, show the clip, and then debrief the clip and present one
or two accessible and productive discussion questions that refer back to the specifics
of the setup (such as the theory or concept).
You may use powerpoint in your presentation, but it is not necessary. Someone must
take notes during the discussions and record incorporate important points, issues,
and controversies that arise in class. Include this report with your uploaded
presentation to the wiki the evening of the class. You can go back and edit this, if
necessary, but do have it up there by that evening.
Deadlines
Assignments are due on the date indicated. I will not grant extensions except in the
direst of circumstances and under no circumstances will I grant an extension within
24 hours of a due date. Missed deadlines will be assessed a deduction of one third of
a letter grade per day (e.g. from A- to B+ for 1 day late). All assignments must be
completed in order to pass the course.
If the term does not go the way you planned (life does happen when we are not
expecting it), don’t panic or hide. The best thing you can do is to talk to Marcos or I
and keep us in the loop. Usually, we can work something out. It becomes very
difficult to work anything out at or after a deadline.
A word about laptops in class:
I don't mind you bringing your laptop to class, as they can be productive for
learning. Taking notes and finding relevant information, for example, are acceptable
uses. However, they are not to be used as a distraction from the class. I especially
will not tolerate surfing the web, checking facebook, etc. during presentations. You
all will put a lot of time and effort into the presentations. Be respectful to your
colleagues and yourself and give your full attention.

COURSE READING SCHEDULE*
*See course wiki for full schedule, dates, and any possible revisions to the course content
Class One – Course Introductions
Class Two – Introduction to Race and Racism
Screening: Race: the Power of an Illusion (PBS), Race: The History of an Idea (BBC),
Classified X (Melvin Van Peeples)
Class Three – Cultural Representation and Social Structures
Reading: Omi and Winant, Bonnila-Silva, Kim
Class Four – The Relations/Politics of Representing Race in the Media
Reading: Hall, Freydberg, Jiwani, Entman & Rojecki
Class Five - Hollywood and Stereotyping Asians and ‘Arabs’
Film Screening: Kill Bill Vol. 1 (Tarantino)
Reading: Said, Kawai, Tierney, Marchetti
Class Six - Hollywood and Stereotyping Asians and ‘Arabs’
Reading: Said, Kawai, Tierney, Marchetti
Class Seven – Place and Race: Representing Los Angeles and Authenticity
Film Screening: Crash (Haggis)
Reading: Giroux, Klein, hooks
Class Eight – Place and Race: Representing Los Angeles and Authenticity
Reading: Giroux, Klein, hooks
Class Nine – Producing an Oppositional Gaze, Telling Counter Stories
Film Screening: Better Luck Tomorrow (Lin)
Reading: Takaki, Hall, Chang, Yeo
Class Ten – Producing an Oppositional Gaze, Telling Counter Stories
Reading: Takaki, Hall, Chang, Yeo
Class Eleven – From Rap to Hip Hop, from the Bronx to Global Phenomenon
Reading: Chang, Lipsitz, Chang, Bennett, Christgau
Class Twelve – New Media and New Possibilities for Representation
Reading: Castells
*Subject to change if necessary

Academic Integrity
The School of Communication is committed to the highest standards of academic
excellence and ethical support. The School expects that the grades in this course will
bear some reasonable relation to established university-wide practices with respect
to both levels and distributions of grades. The School follows Policy T10.02 with
respect to “Intellectual Honesty” and “Academic Discipline” (See SFU Calendar,
General Regulations). These policies, procedures and guidelines will be assiduously
upheld. They protect your rights, as well as those of the faculty.
It is particularly important that you be aware of and avoid plagiarism, cheating on
exams, submitting a paper to more than one professor, or submitting a paper
authored by anyone other than yourself. Violations of this policy will result in a
failing grade in the course, and be reported to the proper university office. If you
have any doubts about any of these practices, you must confer with the professor or
the teaching assistant.
Disability
Any students requesting academic accommodations based on a disability are
required to contact the Centre for Students with Disabilities. For exam and other
accommodations, students are responsible for contacting the Disabilities Services
Officer to arrange their specific exam accommodations at the start of the semester.
Then, prior to each exam, students are required to take an Examination Request
Form to their instructor. http://www.sfu.ca/csd or 778-782-3112.