GEND 3018 - Contemporary Theories in Gender Studies

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2018

This is the capstone course for students undertaking the Gender Studies major. Students will explore key debates in gender studies and will examine the influence of Western Marxism, psychoanalysis and feminism on contemporary society, as well as considerations of the cross-disciplinary traditions of structuralism and post-structuralism. By critically engaging with contemporary Australian feminisms and 'New' French feminisms, with an eye to their historical roots, students will also learn about female psychosexual development and the bodily experience of sexuality. The goal of this course is to provide students with skills to be able to transfer these concepts/ideas to contemporary issues thereby highlighting the interconnectedness of feminist philosophy and practice.

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Course Details

Course Code	GEND 3018
Course	Contemporary Theories in Gender Studies
Coordinating Unit	Sociology, Criminology and Gender Studies
Term	Semester 2
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	6
Contact	Up to 3 hours per week
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	Y
Prerequisites	At least 15 units of Gender Studies major courses
Incompatible	GSSA 2018/EX
Assessment	Essay (1500 word) 25%, Group presentation (3000 word) 25%, Essay (3000 word) 40%, Tutorial participation 10%

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Dr Pam Papadelos

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

Course Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this course students will be able to:

	Identify major theoretical debates in Gender Studies.
	Recognise critical theories and key theorists in Feminism, Masculinity Studies, Queer Theory, and Poststructuralism.
	Understand and articulate the political and social dimensions of multiple sexual and gendered orientations.
	Apply theoretical knowledge to social problems.
	Challenge binaries that structure western thought around gender and sexuality, including sex/gender, man/woman, homosexual/heterosexual.
	Work with others in the exploration of ideas and to collectively negotiate solutions to problems
	Construct a clear well-argued paper in response to a research question
	Use technologies relevant to the University learning environment

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

University Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Deep discipline knowledge informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1 accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)	1,2,3,5
Critical thinking and problem solving steeped in research methods and rigor based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment	4,6,7
Teamwork and communication skills developed from, with, and via the SGDE honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning	5,7,8
Career and leadership readiness technology savvy professional and, where relevant, fully accredited forward thinking and well informed tested and validated by work based experiences	3
Intercultural and ethical competency adept at operating in other cultures comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges	3
Self-awareness and emotional intelligence a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate	4,6

Learning Resources

Recommended Resources

Reading lists, web-links, library resources, essay writing guides, study guides, referencing, IT support and TURNITIN will be available.

Online Learning

The MyUni site will contain some additional resources and materials. Each week after the lecture, the lecture slides and lecture recording will be uploaded. Announcements and a discussion board are activated for student queries and the passing on of course information. Websites and some uploaded film/dvd material will complement the material in the reader. Articulate Storyline modules will be availabe on MyUni. The materials will be released over the semester.

Learning & Teaching Modes

No information currently available.

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

WORKLOAD	TOTAL HOURS
1x1 hour lecture per week	12 hours per semester
1x2 hour tutorial per week	24 hours per semester
6 hours reading per week	72 hours per semester
2 hours research per week	24 hours per semester
2 hours assignment preparation per week	24 hours per semester
	TOTAL = 156 hours per semester

Learning Activities Summary

WEEK	LECTURE TOPIC
1	Introduction
2	Theory and Feminist Praxis: The Sexual Subject
3	Continental Philosophy and Feminist Theory
4	Subjectivity: Feminist Positions
5	Group Activity
6	Psychoanalysis: Freud and Lacan
7	Foucault: Discourses of Desire
8	Derrida and Irigaray
9	Judith Butler’s Gender Performativity
10	Intersectionality
11	Presentations
12	Intersections of Gender and Sexuality

Small Group Discovery Experience

SGDE in the lecture setting involving flipped on-line modules (developed in Articulate Storyline) where students will work in groups to apply theory from modules to case studies/examples presented in the lecture. Students will work in groups of 4x5 students (x4). Group presentation in the tutorial.

The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

ASSESSMENT TASK	TASK TYPE	WEIGHTING	COURSE LEARNING OUTCOME(S)
1500 essay	Summative	25%	1,2,5,6
3000 words Group presentation	Formative and Summative	25%	1-7
3000 essay	Summative	40%	1-6
Tutorial Participation	Formative and Summative	10%	1-8

Assessment Detail

1500 word essay: 30%
Answer one of the two set questions to answer in essay format using the readings from weeks 1-4.
1.Why is generic (universal) ‘man’ as a philosophic category problematic for some men and all women?
2.Why should feminists engage with, and want to be included in, the ‘Western Philosophical Canon’?

3000 words Group Presentation: 20%
In groups, students will select an issue to explore (Gay Marriage, the rise of raunch culture, sex tourism, division of labour and sexualisation of children). They will work together to develop a comprehensive profile on a chosen issue, which will include an academic bibliography and popular representations, such as media reports etc.

3000 word essay: 40%
Students will be required to write a research essay chosen from topics to be circulated in week 6

Tutorial Participation: 10%
Students engage in interaction in class activities and the cooperative sharing of materials and information

Submission

No information currently available.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

Student Feedback

The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
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Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

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Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator