Module overview
This module focuses on representations of sex and gender in popular music. It portrays gender on a sliding scale, and in a non-binary manner, and engages with cultural and feminist theory, sexuality and other theories of difference (such as othering, race, class, etc.). We will consider other subsidiary issues, too, such as agency, authenticity and identity. Students are introduced to a range of theories and analytical tools to support their essay writing.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- the recent history of representations of gender and sexuality in western popular musics
- relevant theoretical approaches to the study of gender, sexuality and popular music performance
- theories of difference (gender; sexuality; race; intertextuality) and their application to the analysis of performance and popular music
- style and genre in the popular music repertoire
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- use appropriate bibliographical and research tools – recorded, printed and online
- demonstrate your understanding of a topic through writing
- engage critically with cultural materials
- annotate your writing in a logical and usable format
Cognitive Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- use analytical models from a variety of disciplines (cultural studies; gender studies; film studies; performance studies; musicology; social sciences) to read popular music videos and songs
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- interrogate musical texts through methodologies derived from gender theory and popular music studies
- read, annotate, and summarise critical literature from a range of disciplines, but particularly in terms of gender theory, social sciences and philosophy.
Subject Specific Practical Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- locate popular music performances in a historical and social context
- evaluate technical and stylistic elements of popular music performances
Syllabus
Topics to be addressed will include: “Performing gender”; “The grain of the voice”; “Androgyny”; “Subjectivity and persona”; “Camp and drag”; “Queer and genderqueer”; “Hypersexuality”; “Becoming the ‘other’”. A wide range of artists and genres will be discussed, from Elvis Presley and Ma Rainey to Billie Eilish and Sam Smith. We will also think about the ways in which artists can now use their platforms as a means of social justice and protest.
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
Learning activities include:
- short critical thinking activities based on analytical frameworks and tools in core resource texts.
- independent listening, watching and reading of materials: students will engage with a wide range of materials (recorded sound, film, video, popular journalism, academic writing) which will form the basis of our discussion.
- independent preparation of essay(s): students will be encouraged to reflect on their own opinions, preferences and value judgments at appropriate stages during the course.
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Lecture | 24 |
| Independent Study | 126 |
| Total study time | 150 |
Resources & Reading list
General Resources
Performance Analysis: An Introductory Coursebook. Counsell, Colin, and Wolf, Laurie (Eds). Performance Analysis: An Introductory Coursebook. New York: Routledge, 2001.
Feminine Endings: Music, Gender, and Sexuality. Susan McClary. University of Minnesota Press, 2002.
Song Means: Analysing and Interpreting Recorded Popular Song. Moore, Alan F. Song Means: Analysing and Interpreting Recorded Popular Song. Farnham: Ashgate, 2012.
Musicology and Difference: Gender and Sexuality in Music Scholarship . Ruth A. Solie. University of California Press, 1995.
Analysing Popular Music: Image, Sound and Text. Machin, David. Analysing Popular Music: Image, Sound and Text. London: Sage, 2010.
Audible Traces: Gender, Identity, and Music. Elaine Barkin and Lydia Hamessley. Carciofoli, 1999.
Disruptive Divas: feminism, identity & popular music. Lori Burns and Mélisse LaFrance. New York: Routledge, 2002.
Assessment
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Essay | 60% |
| Annotated bibliography | 40% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Essay | 100% |
Repeat
An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Annotated bibliography | 40% |
| Essay | 60% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External