FILM 283 - Race and Gender in Sports Media Fandom

Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)

(Same as MEDS 283) This course examines representations of race and gender in North American sports media. It considers the ways in which different media (fiction films, documentary, and television) construct, reinforce, and/or challenge conceptions of race and gender. The definitions of sports media as a generic and industrial label are explored as are transformation of audiences into fan communities. Throughout the semester, we examine the role that conceptions of race, class, sexual identity, and gender have played in the historical and cultural development of sports media and fandom. We also consider more recent forms of cultural production and participation that engage the varied social, cultural, and political practices associated with fandom. Special attention is paid to the connections between media consumption and performances of identity and community. Screenings include A League of their Own, Girlfight, Raging Bull, Love & Basketball, Minding the Gap, and O.J.: Made in America. Since this course focuses on the relationship between media and fandom, students do not need to have any knowledge of sports to enroll. This course is not open to first-year students. Alexander Kupfer.

Prerequisite(s): FILM 209 or MEDS 160.

Two 75-minute periods plus outside screenings.

Course Format: CLS