| CODE | GDS2002 | ||||||||
| TITLE | The Intersectionality of Inequality | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Gender and Sexualities | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | The study-unit will start by defining what intersectionality and identity politics are. It will then discuss theories which try to explicate how gender intersects and interacts with social class, race, age, ethnicity, sexual identity, sexual orientation and disability to affect access to education, employment, and leisure. Students will compare and assess contemporary theories, approaches, and research linked to intersectionality and identity. Key questions addressed are: How do multiple factors of race, ethnicity, gender, age, able bodidness and sexuality intersect in individual identities? Does identity divide us or provide us with the grounds for solidarity? What kind of claims and strategies can and ought “identity politics” make use of, and at what moments? How do these identities shape our subjectivity? These issues will be tackled through the lenses of critical race, postcolonial,transnational, postmodern, and queer feminist theories. The first part of the study-unit we will explore key concepts for the study of intersectional identities and then examine how identities are mobilized in relation to institutions, such as the law and education, in the second part of the study-unit. Study-Unit Aims: - Expose students to various critical race, postcolonial, transnational, postmodern, disability, feminist,and other identity theories; - Compare these with intersectional theories; - Illustrate what type of research and analysis can be carried out with these tools; - Demonstrate that policies need to take multiple issues on board. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Develop a deeper ability to formulate and analyse social problems with an intersectional approach; - Critically reflect on the importance of such an approach to social theory and method as well as to the understanding of social issues; - Critically evaluate identity and intersectional theories; - Have a deeper knowledge of the development of theories on intersectionality as well as on current theoretical discussions of the concept. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Independently formulate and critically analyse social problems based on theory and methods of intersectionality and identity; - Critically reflect on how the interaction between several categorisations affects the development of theories and methods in research; - Relate the theory of intersectionality to other social theories; - Independently in speech and writing critically reflect what an intersectional analysis means and how it can be implemented. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Patricia Hill Collins & Sirma Bilge (2016) Intersectionality. Polity. - Vivian M May (2015) Pursuing intersectionallity, unsettling dominant imaginaries. Routledge. - Nina Lykke. (2011) Feminist Studies: a guide to intersectional theory, methodology and writing. Routledge. - Joseph F Healey. (2010) Diversity and society. Race, ethnicity and gender. Sage. Supplementary Readings: Reading Pack |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Josephine Ann Cutajar |
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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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