Module Catalogue 2026/27

Pre Requisite Comment

N/A

Co Requisite Comment

N/A

Aims

The module aims to give students an advanced grounding in gender and feminist theory, through the study of key writers and texts. This will give students a theoretical basis for further study and research in gender and related areas, especially for their dissertations.

Outline Of Syllabus

The module will cover key topics in the the theorisation of gender and its intersections, such as: histories of feminist thinking about gender; the emergence of 'gender theory'; the relation between sex and gender; intersectionality; the coloniality of gender; gender trouble and queer theory; gender and (social) reproduction; gender, law, and the state; gender and affect; gender and violence; gender and (post-)humanism.

Through these topics, students will be introduced to classic and contemporary texts and thinkers in the theorisation of gender.

Please note that topics, texts, and thinkers covered in the module will depend on teaching team and will be responsive to current debates and events.

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

At the end of the module, students should be able to:

(1) Explain a diverse range of theoretical approaches to gender.

(2) Demonstrate how gender is economically, socially, politically, and culturally constructed as it intersects with other social structures and categories.

(3) Analyse the relevance of gender and its intersections in diverse historical and geographical contexts.

(4) Evaluate the degree to which contemporary socio-political debates and struggles resist and/or reproduce hegemonic formations of gender.

(5) Imagine alternatives to hegemonic formations of gender in theory and in practice.

Intended Skill Outcomes

At the end of the module, students should be able to:

(1) Undertake critical reading of scholarly texts.

(2) Identify relevant objects of gender analysis, select appropriate critical frameworks, and apply them.

(3) Express complex ideas clearly and accurately, in both written and oral communication.

(4) Carry out topic-oriented research using both library and IT resources.

(5) Demonstrate independence in research and learning.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Teaching methods are designed to both give students theoretical, historical, and contextual input as well as to support their independent learning.

Each 2-hour small group session will include both a lecture on the topic by a member of the teaching team and student-facilitated discussion orientated around key text(s).

Additionally, two 1-hour workshops will support students in preparing their assessments.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

For assessment, students will critically reflect on (a) a selection of theoretical perspectives covered in the module and (b) their application to selected case material or a contemporary issue or debate. They will present this reflection in a 3000-word essay. The assessment develops skills in evaluating and selecting theoretical frameworks, identifying relevant objects of analysis, applying module concepts to 'real world' cases, developing research independence, and structuring thought. It will also assess skills in scholarly written communication, including structure, clarity, editing, and referencing.

As a formative assessment, students will submit a 500-word assessment plan that gives a brief overview of their chosen theoretical perspective(s) and how they indend to utilize the theory in their essay. The module leader will provide feedback on the assessment plan.

General Notes

N/A