Goals:
To better understand the nature of analysis and how it pertains to everyday life. In this unit we will be discussing how the media – Disney in particular – perpetuates gender stereotypes and breaks gender stereotypes.
This unit will include three short response essays and one final essay.
Week 1:
Reading: (Due Thursday)
“Introduction: Disney’s Troubled Utopia’ pages 1-15
The Mouse that Roared: Disney and the End of Innocence.
Tuesday:
Discussion: Introduction to the unit and introduce analysis. What is it? How can we use analysis in everyday life?
Group Activity: Brainstorm aspects of our lives that we analyze on a daily basis. Are there any common threads of our analysis? What do we do with the thoughts we gain from that analysis?
Thursday:
Discussion: Discuss The Mouse that Roared. What are confining and liberating elements of Disney seen in the films?
In Class Writing: Your impression of Disney
Last half hour of class:
Guest speaker to discuss the transmission of fairy tales, Disney’s appropriation of the fairy tales, and gender in the original fairy tales.
Due Tuesday:
Write a 500 word response in which you consider one character from a Disney film and a previous tradition of that character. How has Disney played with the idea of gender in the new transmission? What stereotypes are evident?
Week 2:
Reading The Mouse that Roared: Disney and the End of Innocence, chapter 2: “Learning with Disney: From Baby Einstein to High School Musical’
Tuesday:
Discussion: What does Disney teach us as an audience when we are children? As college students? How does that message change?
Watch: “Sexism, Strength, and Dominance: Masculinity in Disney Films’ Sanjay Newton. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CWMCt35oFY.
Discuss Disney and Masculinity – how is it portrayed to its viewers?
In Class Writing: With Giroux and Pollock’s writing text in mind, what might Disney be teaching children?
For Thursday: Pick one male character from a Disney movie. In a short paragraph, write traits that either reinforce or break with gender stereotyping.
Thursday:
Character mapping: on the board, students will write their character and the traits that he shows (from homework). With this, we will create a topic sentence for a short response on masculinity in the Disney film that they have chosen.
For Tuesday: 500 word response due: using the topic sentence created in class, write a character analysis based on the film. Students are required to bring in one outside source (journal, text, etc.) to support their analysis of the character.
Week 3:
Reading: The Mouse that Roared: Disney and the End of Innocence – Chapter 3:
“Children’s Culture and Disney’s Animated Films.’
Tuesday:
Discussion: How does the chapter relate to you as an audience? How does influence your analysis of the Disney films?
Watch: “The Disney Effect’ Mediastudiesclassrsg.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpPgkjeW_kI
Thursday:
Discussion: Disney and Femininity: How is it portrayed?
Small group discussions: pick a female Disney character and create a character map based on gender and stereotyping.
For Tuesday: Write a 500 word response on one female character and how she is portrayed in Disney films. Students will be required to bring in one outside source (journal, text, etc.) to support their analysis of their character.
Week 4:
Tuesday:
Pulling it all together: Disney, analysis, and gender.
Discuss the paper and it’s requirements.
Brainstorming, what do you want to say about one male and one female character of your choosing? Write at topic sentence in class.
Thursday:
Topic sentence workshop.
Creating the context paragraphs.
Week 5 will consist of workshopping on various aspects of the papers. Essays are due Thursday of Week 6.
Unit 2: Disney and Gender Essay Prompt
In a well thought out essay, please examine the gender roles of Disney. What is a question that you find yourself asking about the gender roles? What thoughts have you had over the past few weeks of this unit that you would like to further explore? Does Disney perpetuate gender roles? Do they change them?
This paper will be an analysis of gender roles in Disney two disney films; One with a male main character and one with a female main character.
This paper will require citing and creating a works cited page. For this, you will need to have quotes from each of the movies. Wikipedia is not a source. You will need to use at least three sources. This means that in addition to the movie, you will be doing some research on your own. With the citations, you will need to use at least one direct and one indirect citation, and one paraphrase.
This essay will be worth 100 points.
The paper must be turned in at the beginning of class time. Any essays turned in after the beginning of class will be considered late. There will be a ten point deduction for every day that it is late. Papers will not be accepted after Friday.
If you would like to schedule a conference, you will receive five points of extra credit