Overview

Welcome to the study of religion and popular culture. Religion (and religions, specifically) intersect with many forms of popular culture, whether it is the identity of a character (e.g., Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, the Hindu grocer from The Simpsons), the use of symbols that make a difference (e.g., just about every element in The DaVinci Code novel and film), and myths and other narratives (e.g., the ancient Greek myths that inform the recent show, Kaos, on Netflix). As well, religion has played a role in the way we as viewers engage with popular culture by way of our worldviews.

This semester, we will be studying the place of religion (themes, symbols, and rituals) in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the television series that aired on the WB and UPN networks from 1997-2003. I have chosen Buffy as our case study this year because it is a significant body of work that has generated a lot of scholarship, as well as a devoted fan base. Over the twelve weeks of the semester, we will watch 14 episodes in order of broadcast that will walk us through the entire series, with discussion of many of the most important characters and themes of the show. 

Our Weekly Work

Our class meets weekly online (Wednesdays 9 am-12 pm; see the Zoom tab in the course navigation menu on the left for the link). You can see the topic and assigned materials (reading and watching) in the Lecture Topics module. We will watch the episode of the week in the first two hours of class, as well as discussing the assigned materials. Our third hour will continue our discussion, yet focus on skills development for the assignments. Attendance and participation is entirely voluntary, although we wish to stress that those who attend classes will likely understand the material better and have the advantage when completing the weekly quizzes. There will be no slides or recordings of classroom and tutorials meetings, so if you are interested in engaging, please plan to attend. A weekly quiz will measure your engagement with the course material.

If you have any questions about the syllabus, assessments, or weekly content, you can ask about them in the FAQ Board (which is available in the course navigation menu on the left). We ask that you pose questions there (rather than by email) so that everyone can see the questions and answers. If you can answer someone else's question, you are encouraged to do so in a reply on the FAQ Board. Email queries are for personal issues only.

In order to succeed in this course, we encourage you to read and watch assigned materials before class, start working on the major assignment as soon as possible, attend classes, and keep up with your work. There is no final examination in this course, which means that all work must be submitted before the end of the semester.

Assessments:

1. Major Project on the episode and topic of your choice (worth 60 points in total)

At the end of the course, you are required to submit a substantial report on an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer that you choose, with clear discussion of a topic and character that appears in the episode and represents how religion informs the show. 

The overall project will be divided into three elements: a) a proposal, b) an annotated bibliography, and c) the final report.

a) Proposal (worth 10%): a 1-2-page proposal in which you indicate which episode you are interested in researching, along with a short working bibliography (3 or more academic sources). This proposal may be for a written report or audio-visual presentation; you must choose your format prior to submitting your proposal. Please note that written reports must be completed alone, while the audio-visual presentation may be completed in pairs. in order to find a partner, you can post on this Discussion Board. Due no later than February 3, 11:59 pm;

b) Annotated Bibliography (worth 20%): your thesis statement along with a working bibliography of 3 or more resources, cited using the Chicago Manual of Style, and discussed in annotations of at least 150 words for each resource. Your annotations should make clear the argument being pursued in the resource and how that argument (and the evidence used to support it) will aid in your own study on a particular new religious movement. The same bibliography is required for both the written and audio-visual presentation options. Due March 3, 11:59 pm; and 

c) Final Report (worth 30%): a substantive study of your chosen episode in either written or audio-visual format. Your report should include an argument related to the topic you have chosen to discuss (this may be one of the topics we discuss in class, or another of your choosing), close analysis of one scene from your chosen episode that illustrates this argument, and engagement with the sources you have gathered to provide support for your argument. Due April 4, 11:59 pm. No grace period or extensions apply to the final submission.

2. Weekly Quizzes (40 points)

Best 8 out of 12 quizzes worth 5% each.