Overview
This course examines hockey as a media-rich cultural institution and analyzes how representations of players, fans, teams, violence, toughness, leadership, and vulnerability shape ideas about masculinity. Students engage with sports broadcasting, journalism, promotional campaigns, locker-room narratives, social media, fan forums, documentary film, celebrity culture, nationalism, regional identity, race, class, sexuality, and gender diversity.
The course develops critical media literacy through close textual analysis, comparative study across platforms, audience research, and evaluation of institutional power. Emphasis is placed on distinguishing media industries from audience interpretations, identifying recurring representational patterns, and assessing how hockey media reinforce or challenge exclusionary norms. Ethical research practice, respectful discussion, and attention to the lived experiences of athletes and communities are integral to the course.
Learning Outcomes
- Analyze recurring representations of masculinity, vulnerability, violence, leadership, and belonging in hockey media.
- Evaluate relationships among media industries, institutional power, audience interpretation, and cultural identity.
- Compare the construction of hockey-related identities across broadcast, journalistic, promotional, documentary, and social media platforms.
- Apply ethical research methods to investigate media audiences and communities affected by hockey representation.
- Critique the intersections of gender, race, class, sexuality, nationalism, and regional identity in hockey culture.
- Synthesize scholarly and empirical evidence to formulate an inclusive media representation strategy.
- Communicate theoretically informed media analyses using appropriate academic conventions and respectful disciplinary practice.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Assignment | Close reading of hockey media texts | 20.00% |
| Assignment | Comparative platform coverage analysis | 25.00% |
| Deliverable | Media-audience research exercise | 20.00% |
| Capstone | Final inclusive representation strategy | 25.00% |
| Attendance | Seminar participation and ethical discussion | 10.00% |
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.
