This course will examine certain media genres such as action
adventure, science fiction, horror and Westerns which often portray
violence as power and will ask the question "if violence is
associated with masculinity, and masculinity to men, then what can
we say about violent women?"  While the focus of the course will be
to examine media examples of violent masculinity and femininity (and
even to question if we can have violent femininity or if violent
women become "masculinized"), an additional question for the course
includes Does violent women's power in media examples help create a
more powerful image for women in the real world?  Have Buffy, Xena,
Ripley, Sarah Connor, Sydney Bristow and other "tough girls" changed
how our society views women, and maybe changed women's lives?