This seminar is a comprehensive study of the representation of gender, love and sexuality in African American and African Diasporan culture. It introduces students to the field of gender and sexuality and some of the principal questions of feminist theory, as viewed from linguistics, anthropology, media studies and literature. The course has a strong international and multicultural focus, drawing on descriptions of women and men's speech, interaction and representation across the globe. Materials examined include film, novels, music and the examination of numerous cultural practices. The lectures and in-class activities explore the principal concepts and issues that define the field of gender, culture and communication. These areas include: sociolinguistics, discourse and interaction, gender and culture, communication theory, gender and media, cultural studies, political economy, and symbolic communication. In particular, we will examine how everyday interactions, media, film, popular culture and journalism, incorporate gender and sexuality and at times perpetuate stereotypes of men, women and sexuality in general.