Have you been streaming all of Schitt’s Creek while in quarantine? Feeling 90s nostalgia with binges of Seinfeld and Friends? Re-watching the sitcoms of your childhood? In GWST 323, all of that sitcom watching counts as doing your homework! In Gender and Sitcoms, we will watch sitcoms from the 1950s through today to critically analyze representations of gender within them. From an intersectional perspective, we’ll ask what sorts of messages the shows send about masculinity and femininity, about sexuality, about family, and ask if and how those messages reflect American culture in their time. Throughout the session, you’ll play the role of TV critic, writing reviews of the sitcoms that critique their messages about gender, and maybe their jokes as well.

GWST323 is running for six weeks during Summer 2020 session 1. If you have questions, please reach out to the instructor, Dr Kathryn Kein, at kkein@umbc.edu