Overview
This course introduces the critical study of hockey-centered romantic and erotic fiction as popular culture and participatory media. Students examine how sports settings shape narratives of rivalry, teamwork, masculinity, intimacy, vulnerability, identity, and belonging through non-graphic scholarly analysis.
Topics include genre conventions, romance and erotica as distinct but overlapping categories, character archetypes, narrative desire, point of view, tropes, world-building, emotional pacing, fanfiction, original fiction, archival practices, platform cultures, audience interpretation, and relationships between fictional sports worlds and real hockey institutions. Critical perspectives are drawn from gender studies, queer studies, sports studies, narrative theory, fan studies, and media industries. Ethical study addresses consent, power dynamics, privacy, real-person fiction, intellectual property, community norms, content warnings, age-appropriate analysis, and respectful discussion of diverse identities.
Learning Outcomes
- Define and distinguish major conventions, categories, tropes, and narrative techniques in hockey-centered romantic and erotic fiction.
- Perform close readings that analyze characterization, point of view, imagery, emotional pacing, and representations of desire and intimacy.
- Analyze the cultural meanings of hockey institutions, practices, and imagery in fictional and fan-produced media.
- Compare official sports media with fanfiction and original fiction using appropriate concepts from narrative, gender, queer, sports, and fan studies.
- Evaluate scholarly, archival, platform, and community sources for relevance, authority, context, and ethical use.
- Discuss sensitive material professionally while applying principles of consent, privacy, intellectual property, content responsibility, and respectful representation.
- Construct evidence-based interpretations of genre texts, platform cultures, and audience practices in clear critical writing.
Timetable
| Type | Length | Frequency | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 2 hours | Weekly | All semester |
| Tutorial | 1 hour | Weekly | All semester |
| Workshop | 2 hours | Fortnightly | All semester |
Assessment Schedule
| Type | Description | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Quiz | Terminology quizzes (4 × 5%) | 20.00% |
| Assignment | Close-reading analysis | 20.00% |
| Assignment | Fandom or platform case study | 20.00% |
| Assignment | Official and fan-produced media comparison | 15.00% |
| Capstone | Final critical essay | 25.00% |
Teaching Staff & Programs
This course is delivered jointly by faculty from the participating programs listed below. In line with the Douchewater Way, the University of Sexology tailors core instruction directly to each cohort's specific discipline — adapting curriculum to program needs rather than forcing students into a one-size-fits-all model. Learn more about our approach at The Douchewater Way.
