Sex in the Media Syllabus

ISS2937 – HONORS SEMINAR: SEX IN THE MEDIA

SYLLABUS – FALL, 1999

INSTRUCTOR	Dr. Barry S. Sapolsky OFFICE: 334 DIF PHONE: 644-8774 HOURS: Tues./Thurs. 10:00-11:00 a.m. or by appointment EMAIL: bsapolsk@mailer.fsu.edu
CLASS MEETINGS	Tues./Thurs. 2:00-3:15 001 Diffenbaugh Bldg.
READINGS	Readings available on the Web site
WEBSITE	http://www.comm.fsu.edu/sapolsky/

HONORS WEB PAGE: http://www.fsu.edu/~honors/

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course is intended for students interested in Communication and other disciplines, especially those in the Social Sciences. Students will read and discuss published works dealing with sexuality in the mass media. Some of the topics that will be discussed include sexual language and behavior in entertainment television, effects of pornography, sex and violence in movies, sex and music videos, and the TV content ratings system. Students will write a number of short papers on the course topics andpropose a research study focusing on an issue of interest.

ADA STATEMENT:

It is our desire that all of our students fully participate in the curriculum of our department but we need your assistance. If you have a disability or condition that compromises your ability to complete the requirements of this course, you must notify the instructor immediately. All reasonable efforts will be made to accommodate your needs. Further, if you do not understand or accept the contents or the terms of this syllabus, you must notify the instructor in writing within one week of receiving the syllabus.

COURSE OUTLINE:

1	Pornography and the Internet	To whet our appetites, we will look at the issue of pornography available on the Internet. We will examine the concerns raised by interest groups, attempts at government regulation, free speech issues, technology for filtering content, "netsex", etc.
2	Background Issues	Before we begin our look at some of the scientific literature dealing with sex and the media, we need to become familiar with pertinent (a) research methods and (b) theories that are employed in studying the impact of sexual words and images.
	(a) Methods	We will review the basics principles of laboratory-experiments and content analysis.
	(b) Theories	We will review Cultivation and Social learning. We will also look at the issue of sexual socialization. Additional theories will be explored in #5, Effects of erotica/pornography.
3	Sex and Music Videos	Music videos have been available on television for 15 years. What images and themes are most prevalent? What subtle and not-so-subtle messages about sex and men and women do they communicate?
4	Sex on Television	We will examine more than two decades of research on the portrayal of sex on prime time and daytime (soap operas) television. We will also look at the TV ratings system.
5	Effects of Pornography and Erotica	What is the link between exposure to erotica/pornography and antisocial behavior? We will look at the national commissions on pornography and other research that examines the impact of sexual stimuli.
6	Offensive Language and Broadcast Media	What is the nature of offensive language on radio and television? We will also review government regulations vis-à-vis "indecency."

EVALUATION:

Students are to write three "research" papers for the course. In each paper students are to explore in depth a specific topic related to Sex and the Media. The papers should use course readings and other scholarly sources (online and traditional library resources). The third and final paper should, in addition, propose a hypothetical research study. The percentage of the course grade assigned to each paper is: first – 25%, second – 35%, and third – 40%. Due dates and specific parameters for the papers will be discussed in class. In addition, students will be required to do the following in class: (a) discuss one of their first two papers and (b) provide a brief overview of the proposed research study described in their third paper.

E-MAIL:

All students are expected to have an e-mail account (see "Online Registration" below). Provide Dr. Sapolsky with your email address as soon as possible. You are strongly encouraged to use this e-mail account to communicate your questions to Dr. Sapolsky. He will routinely use e-mail to post messages for all students in the class so check your e-mail regularly. Announcements will also be posted on Dr. Sapolsky's web site.

ONLINE REGISTER FOR E-MAIL ACCOUNT:

You can register online for a free e-mail account from ACNS (Academic Computing and Network Services). Log on to the internet and enter the following address: http://register.acns.fsu.edu

You will need a valid FSU ID card and your social security number to register for a new account. If you have a modem and computer where you live, you can use a PPP account to send and receive e-mail from home as well as use the internet.

HONOR CODE:

Students are expected to work independently on all course assignments. If you are unfamiliar with the University Honor Code, be sure to review it in the University Bulletin.

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