Gender Studies

About

You will be provided an overview of ‘classical’ and contemporary theorisations of gender, and of the multiple ways in which gender is encountered in every aspect of our lives.

The different ways of defining gender issues and shaping gender politics in Western and non-Western societies will be considered.

You will study the historical and cultural contexts in which the main debates have arisen and analyse themes such as gender, identity, sexuality, motherhood, nationhood, ethnicity, ‘race’ and religion.

A variety of genres including press, novel, film and essay will be examined with the purpose of considering how gender and sexuality are conceptualised within Western society, focusing on the UK. You will explore how media and popular culture can reinforce or challenge traditional notions of gender that perpetuate inequalities.

Week one
First, second and third feminist waves
Introduction to Gender Studies
Introduction to Queer Studies

Week two
The case for Women’s Writing
Men’s Studies
Marginalised Identities

Week three
Post-feminism
Intersectionality
#MeToo and the Digital Era

Course leader

Dr Mazal Oaknin

Course aim

This module aims to:

- Introduce you to the interdisciplinary field of Gender Studies with a focus on the humanities.
- Explore gender as a social construct shaped by race, class, sexuality, disability and nation.
- Familiarise you with feminist theories of oppression, power and resistance.
- Prepare you to understand how the study of gender contributes to other academic fields, particularly the humanities, and equip you with the tools to analyse critically written and media texts that deal with gender.
- Enable you to reflect critically on your own views and experiences of gender, and to engage in constructive discussion about them.

Fee info