Students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology can now receive course credit for watching and discussing their favorite TV show, "Sex and the City."
The new course, first offered this past fall, uses the HBO series to examine modern-day issues of sexuality ranging from balancing careers with family, to body image and self-esteem, to dating and relationships.
According to professor Laura Stuart, who teaches the class, the topics touched upon in the course are "especially relevant to college students today."
Stuart noted the concept for the course was actually the brainchild of two women who are currently MIT seniors. Last January, Julia Kurnik and Riva Bakal held four workshops in which they used "Sex and the City" as a jumping-off point to discussions on sexuality. With interest from the student body and support from Professor Stuart, the two were able to develop their idea into a class available to all MIT students.
According to Stuart, she was "impressed" with dialogue cultivated from the workshops and was more than willing to co-teach with Kurnik and Bakal.
The course is centered on two-hour seminars in which students view two "Sex and the City" episodes that revolve around a given topic.
For example, Stuart mentioned one session which was focused on sacrifices women make; Carrie moving to Paris and Charlotte changing religions were cited as episodes dealing with the issue.
According to Stuart, this class is important for MIT students — it provides "balance" to student schedules, which she says are often crammed with "hardcore math and science classes."
Stuart pointed out one student's thoughts on the topic: "One of my students said, 'In all the other classes I take, there's a right and wrong answer … and here it's not that way. Whatever I think about these issues is right for me.'"
Positive student response to the class has not gone unnoticed; 60 students enrolled for the class last fall, which has a maximum capacity of 25.
The University of Wisconsin offers classes which examine issues of human sexuality, although "Sex and the City" has not been introduced to the curriculum.
Some UW students, like sophomore Katie Hansen — who said she'd sign up for the class "in a heartbeat" if it was offered here — believe the HBO series is an interesting way to discuss the topic.
Others, like UW sophomore Mike Zdero, who took UW's human sexuality class last fall, believe UW's current human sexuality coursework is satisfactory as is.
"I really thought that class was one of the most beneficial I've taken," Zdero said of Sociology 160. "I don't know to what extent using 'Sex and the City' would be realistic."
Professor Janet Hyde, who is teaching Sociology 160 this semester, has similar feelings.
She does not believe using the sitcom would be necessary, as "the regular content is already so interesting."
The Sociology 160 syllabus covers topics including, but not limited to, male and female physiology, abortion, techniques of sexual arousal, intimacy, rape and sex laws.
Despite feeling the use of "Sex and the City" in the classroom might be superfluous, Zdero doesn't doubt the popularity of the class at MIT.
"If you're going to put a fun class out there, people will take it," he said.
