Unit name | The Sociology of Gender |
---|---|
Unit code | SOCI20042 |
Credit points | 20 |
Level of study | I/5 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
Unit director | Dr. Perrier |
Open unit status | Not open |
Pre-requisites |
None |
Co-requisites |
None |
School/department | School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies |
Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
This unit introduces students to some key theoretical perspectives and conceptualizations of gender, for example the influence of postmodernism on feminist theory. It also examines contemporary sex and gender relations through the investigation of a number of different empirical topics illustrative of processes of gendering in contemporary Britain. Central to the unit are notions of equality, change, identity and power. A key issue is to understand the diverse ways in which gender is socially constructed: students are invited to conceptualize gender less as a characteristic of individuals and more as a structural division in society, a system of meanings, or a social process. It considers gendered relations of power and the articulation of gender with other kinds of social difference such as 'race', class and sexuality. The unit also emphasises the importance of historical change, alongside the need to appreciate the complexities and diversities of gender relations.
Aims:
On successful completion of the unit, students will be able to demonstrate:
1hr lecture and 2hr seminar.
Formative: 1000 word essay (0%)
Summative: 3000 word essay (100%)
ILOs 1, 2, and 3 will be assessed through the formative and summative essays.