The final product for this course will be a final paper completed individually for 30 points total towards your final grade. Students will choose one of two final paper options.

Option 1: Gender analysis of media content

You will write a 5-7 page paper analyzing a piece of media of your choice. This can include a TV show, book series, podcast, video game, movie, comic book, or anything you can identify as media content. Thoroughly describe relevant components of the media piece before/as you analyze (you do not have to describe in detail the entire thing, only what is relevant to your paper/the course concepts).

Questions to consider:

What are the gendered characteristics/traits/behaviors of the characters?

What is the content broadly saying about gender, power, and hierarchical arrangements?

How are sexualities presented in the media piece? Does the media piece assume heteronormativity? Explain.

Does the content exemplify identities/behaviors/characteristics that operate outside of the gender binary? If so, are there any notable reactions?

Does this content succeed/fail to represent an intersectional understanding of identity? Why or why not?

Are there any examples of gendered institutions within the media piece? If so, describe and explain the institution and how it is gendered.

Paper requirements: 5 key concepts from the course must be used throughout your paper with citations. You should use 12-point size normal font (Times New Roman, Calibri, Arial, etc.), double spacing, and APA formatting including references.