Course Overview
Barbie, Buffy, and Benson. Midge Maisel, Annalise Keating and Eleven. These fictional female characters have become icons. Strong women who represent the power and promise of feminism. This class will trace women’s representation in the media from the First Wave to the Fourth Wave, looking at how media can contribute to women’s advancement…and sometimes their oppression.
All students who successfully complete the course will receive a Certificate of Completion and have the opportunity to request a Syracuse University noncredit transcript.
Learning Objectives
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Create their own strong female characters and meaningful narratives for television and film.
- Discuss the First through Fourth Waves of feminism.
- Critically examine how media contribute to women’s empowerment and oppression.
- Explain the concept of social identity and the role of media in the construction of social identities.
- Apply the concepts of representation and symbolic annihilation, as well as relevant communication theories.
Course Information
Course Prefix and Number: TBD
Format: On Campus (at Syracuse University)
Eligibility: Students must be of rising high school sophomore junior, or senior status – or a 2026 high school graduate.
Credit: Noncredit
Grading: Pass/Fail
- Residential: $4,995
- Commuter: $4,024
Program rates are subject to change and will be approved by the board of trustees. Discounts and scholarships are also available.
Program Information
Summer College – On Campus: Experience what college is really like: take a college-level course, live in a residence hall, have meals with friends in a dining hall, and participate in activities and events on campus.
Course Dates and Details
| Program | Course Dates | Synchronous Class Time (Eastern Time) | Credit/Noncredit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer College – On Campus | 2-Week Session I: Sunday, July 5 – Friday, July 17, 2026 | MTWThF; 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. | Noncredit |
To see if this course is ‘open,’ refer to the full course catalog.
Course Requirements
Required Supplies
There are no required supplies for this course.
Typical Day
Tentative Schedule
Mornings will be spent discussing core theoretical constructs drawn from readings. Afternoons will be spent analyzing popular scripted entertainment media (television, movies, etc.) in order to apply those concepts. For the final project, students will develop their own television show that incorporates feminist ideals.
When class is over, and on weekends, students can look forward to various Summer College – On Campus activities to meet and connect with other students! Check out our On Campus Experience page for more information!
Faculty Bio
Anne Osborne
Anne Osborne’s teaching and research examines how media reinforce and challenge systems of power within society. She is particularly interested in how entertainment media—film and television—reflect and shape societal understandings of identity, difference, and power. Over the past 10 years, her research has centered on sport fandom and sports media, but really her focus is gender, with sport providing a particularly useful site to examine the social construction of gender norms.