CHID 496 B: Focus Groups

For this upcoming Spring quarter, we want to continue the conversation of gender and sexuality
and how it connects to pop culture. Music, Art, Movies and Social Media is a significant
component of our daily life. We continuously consume media intentionally or not. Media in the
past ten years has evolved at the speed of light. Media has shaped and created its own culture.
We will create a space to discuss the implication of living in a society where social media
occupies a significant portion of our life. In continuing the discussion of pop culture, we can
engage a diverse set of students to have meaningful conversations about gender and sexuality.

In this course, we briefly dive into the ways that gender and sexuality have been constructed
socially, historically, and culturally. A large component of this course will be focusing on the
ways pop culture influences our gender & sexuality journey. We will be analyzing mainstream
Rap musicians and other pop artists to have a better understanding of the implications of living in
a heteronormative society that is vastly influenced by the media. We will also be analyzing social
media platforms and the shift in culture as we start creating platforms for social media creators.
Students will be asked to critically analyze and interpret their experiences with gender roles, by
engaging in interactive discussions and creative reflections. Each week we will be delving into
different ideas about Gender and Sexuality to mobilize our skills and interests in other contexts.
Examples of how we connect theories and practice could be how people develop and sustain a
sense of identity. You will read, listen, and watch music videos about these ideas and extend your
understanding as you observe learning through media.