| CODE | GDS3003 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Gender, Culture and the Body | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 6 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Gender and Sexualities | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit explores the social, cultural, and political construction of gendered bodies. The lectures are organized around a variety of feminist theories of the body, embodiment, and the body politics. The first part of the study-unit provides an introduction on the key concepts and main feminist theories on embodiment and the body, considering the perspectives of Simone de Beauvoir, Susan Bordo, Judit Butler, Elizabeth Grosz, Luce Irigaray, and others. The second part of this study-unit focuses on gendered bodies as sites of power/resistance, expression of identity and meaning making, by considering contemporary issues and phenomena (such as commodified bodies, body image, racialization, control of bodies) and selected studies in the field. Study-Unit Aims: - To introduce feminist theories of embodiment and the core concepts and terminology; - To raise awareness on important concerns and questions in contemporary feminist theories; - To highlight the role of culture and societies in shaping and constructing notions of gender and bodies; - To explore the relationship of gender, bodies and embodiments to privilege, identity, power and resistance. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Explain and discuss feminist theories related to gender, embodiment, and the body; - Recognise the cultural norms affecting the gendering of bodies; - Critically analyse how gendered bodies are sites of power, resistance and cultural meaning making. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Think critically and engage in analytic discussions; - Relate academic knowledge to contemporary issues and phenomena; - Prepare and delivere an oral presentation; - Write an assignment with an analytically strong argument. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: Price, J. and Shildrick, M. (ed.) (1999). Feminist Theory and the Body: A Reader; Routledge: New York. Supplementary Readings: - Grosz, E. (1994). Volatile Bodies. Toward a Corporeal Feminism; Indiana University Press: Bloomington. - Lorber, J. and More, L.J. (2011). Gendered Bodies: Feminist Perspectives; Oxford University Press: New York. - Weitz, R. (2003). The Politics of Women's Bodies: Sexuality, Appearance, and Behavior; Oxford University Press: NewYork. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Josephine Ann Cutajar Natasha Galea Roberta Scerri (Co-ord.) |
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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. |
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