Newcomb Summer Session Courses

Instructor: Bernadette Birzer

Course Offered: June 17 - 21

What do zines, blogs, pussy hats, yarn bombs, and protest signs have in common, and how are they feminist? D.I.Y. feminism is a term used by scholars to describe and define the ways in which feminists communicate and elevate ideas through independent cultural production that resists mainstream representations. D.I.Y. feminist material culture takes many forms, including zines, blogs, protest signs, art installations, craftwork, tarot and oracle decks, posters, collage, etc. The Newcomb Archives and Vorhoff Collection of Tulane University collects, preserves, and makes available resources that document the history of women and gender, including LGBTQ+ activism, second and third wave feminist activist movements, feminist zines, feminist tarot and oracle decks, and women’s political campaigns. Students will engage directly with feminist forms of memory keeping and cultural information production through the collections of the Newcomb Archives and Vorhoff Collection, while thinking critically about the role of creative media in the formation of intersectional feminist identities. The week will culminate with the creation of a class zine as a tangible record of our shared experience, as well as a portfolio of creative D.I.Y. feminist media produced by students throughout the course.

After completing this course, students will be able to:

• Adeptly navigate, identify, and utilize resources from cultural heritage institutions such as libraries, archives, museums, and digital repositories.
• Engage in current discussions and debates on the creation and production of feministactivist media, as well as the use of such resources in the construction of collective and individual feminist identities, and in activist movements.
• Design, create, and produce their own feminist/activist media.

Instructor: Dr. Claire Daniel

Course Offered: July 1 - 5

How have television, film, and new media technologies shaped public opinion and policy around reproductive issues? What are the new implications of media portrayals and technologies in the post-Roe world? This course focuses on relationships among reproductive politics, popular media, social media, and movements for reproductive rights and justice in the United States. By analyzing a range of today’s media – from Jane the Virgin and Teen Mom to sex ed and fertility apps – students will gain an understanding of key issues within reproductive politics, including the effects of social inequalities on reproductive freedom and outcomes. /p>

After completing this course, students will be able to:

• Articulate key issues within reproductive politics, including the effects of social inequality on reproductive freedom.
• Discuss the role that popular media plays in constructing dominant understandings of reproductive issues.
• Critically analyze media portrayals of reproduction and reproductive politics.
• Identify the main argument of a scholarly article, participate in a seminar-style class discussion, and conduct a professional academic presentation.

Instructor: Kyle DeCoste

Course Offered: June 10 - 14

In "New Orleans Music and Gender," we will use gender as a lens through which to understand a variety of genres including bounce, brass band, funk, and R&B. How do musicians use music to contest and enforce ideas about gender? And how do these gender expressions intersect with other identity categories such as race and class? Join us for a thought-provoking exploration of the contemporary and historical music scene in New Orleans where gender and sound are intimately intertwined.

Learning Outcomes:

• Deep understanding of gender dynamics in New Orleans music
• Analytical skills for interpreting music in its cultural context
• Recognition of gender, race, and class intersections in musical expression
• Appreciation for musicians as social change agents, challenging gender norms through music

Instructor: Dr. Aidan Smith

Course Offered: June 10 - 14, July 17 - 21

Students are passionate about social issues in their communities. But how can they get the word out and effect change? In this course, students will learn the tactics of persuasive communications necessary to advocate for causes they believe in. Students will practice these methods, from effective public speaking to strategic social media, to create effective communications. Seminar discussions will focus on contemporary issues of gender, politics, and advocacy work.

Learning Outcomes:

• Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of major principles of the persuasion process and be able to demonstrate application of these principals in written, oral, and visual communications.
• Students will be able to articulate a critical, informed position on an issue and engage in productive and responsible intellectual exchanges that demonstrate the ability to grasp and respond to other positions as well as to set forth their own.
• Using class concepts, students will learn how to critically analyze U.S. media and popular culture for intersectional representations of gender and sexuality.
• Students will be able to identify challenges involved in practicing feminism and gender-focused politics in the public sphere.