| CODE | GDS1009 | ||||||||
| TITLE | Gender, Sociology and Politics | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 6 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Gender and Sexualities | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit offers students an overview of some of the most significant sociological theories produced over the last fifty decades. The study-unit will look at gender as a social construction which is used constantly in structuring social division and everyday social practices. During the course of this study-unit, both theoretical and empirical studies will be discussed. This study-unit will introduce students to the concept of gender as a social construction. Starting with general sociological theories of gender and intersectionality (gender's relationship to other modes of difference, such as race and class), the study-unit will then transition toward the ways in which gender inequality is produced and reproduced in various aspects of daily life and society, including: family, work, education, media, housing, public space, the state, migration, and health, among others. Gender in each of these arenas of society will be examined with regard to socialization and norms, social control and power, and material inequality, paying particular attention to constructions of both femininity and masculinity, as well as non-binary manifestations. The second part of the study-unit aims at familiarizing students with the study of politics from a gender perspective. This includes an understanding of what are the major contributions of feminist theories to the analysis of politics in general and gender equality policies in particular. Study-unit Aims: In this study-unit participants to gender studies will be introduced to feminist theories and these will be viewed through the critical intersections of race, class, sexuality, age and ability. Care will be taken to ensure that participants will make sense of these concepts and theories through their experience of everyday life. These theories will enable participants to make sense of concepts such as ‘power’ and ‘privilege’. It will also focus on tangible and intangible factors which prevent women from participating in the public sphere with reference to studies and theories which try to explicate these phenomena. Texts will be used in class to help deconstruct familiar phenomenon and the participants will be encouraged to discuss and assess different ways on how to effect social change. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - provide up-to-date information and references relating to developments in the sociology of gender, both at the local and international levels; - define the key theories relating to sociology, politics and gender; - evaluate how the social construction of gender impacts on behaviour in the private sphere, and how this has a concomitant effect on participation in the public sphere. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - utilize the key concepts discussed in class to participate in discussions at classroom level; - utilize key concepts and theories to apply them in their own life; - become familiar with the concepts and theories discussed in class to be able to write about them. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main texts Christie Launius and Holly Hassel (2015) Threshold concepts in women’s and gender studies. New York & London: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group. Victoria L. Bromley (2012) Feminisms matter. Debates, theories and activism. North York, Canada: University of Toronto Press. Saviour Rizzo (2006) The Dual Worker Family in Malta, Centre for Labour Studies (CLS) and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES). Amy S. Wharton (2012) The Sociology of Gender: An Introduction to Theory and Research, Second Edition, Malden: John Wiley & Sons Ltd. JosAnn Cutajar (2014) Women and political participation in Malta. https://www.osce.org/odihr/126803?download=true Joni Lovenduski and Claudie Baudino (2005) State feminism and political representation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. |
||||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
|
||||||||
| LECTURER/S | Josephine Ann Cutajar |
||||||||
|
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
|||||||||