Checking date: 19/05/2023


Course: 2023/2024

Gender Studies
(13820)
Bachelor in Humanities (Plan: 407 - Estudio: 213)


Coordinating teacher: GONZALEZ MARIN, MARIA CARMEN EVA

Department assigned to the subject: Humanities: Philosophy, Language, Literature Theory Department

Type: Compulsory
ECTS Credits: 6.0 ECTS

Course:
Semester:




Requirements (Subjects that are assumed to be known)
History of Ancient and Medieval Philosophy History of Modern Philosophy Trends in Contemporary Philosophy Metaphysics Moral Philosophy Basic knowledge of history, history of literature and art is also required.
Objectives
The aim of this course is to introduce students to the very broad and controversial field of Gender Studiesl. Above all, it will seek to provide the students with the necessary information to enable them to participate with competence in the open public debate about the problems of inequality, exclusion and violence. It is therefore essential to know the twofold genealogy: -1 the images of women that dominate the patriarchal, sexist or misogynist realm and -2 the responses from what we call proto-feminist, feminism itself, since the apology to the vindication, and the most relevant contemporary reviews. As for the skills that students must come to acquire, we can highligh: 1. the ability to identify and properly contextualize conceptual problems, ambiguous notions, and fallacious arguments. 2. analytical skills that the student must master in order to propose new problems and questions, counterclaims, or new perspectives in Gender . 3. specific skills, especially reading in depth, and perspective (as in the hermeneutics of suspicion). 4. the ability to pose problems, and defend arguments, or thesis in papers and oral presentations.
Skills and learning outcomes
Description of contents: programme
Since this is an introductory course in Gender Studies, its contents must focus on the most basic elements that make up the canon. But at the same time, since it is at the 4th year, it is possible to have a program that presupposes some knowledge in the field of philosophy, moral philosophy, literature and the arts. Thus, the course is organized around three main headings: -1. Sex and Gender: Nature and cultural constructions. 1a. Gender and patriarchy. 1b. The origins of misogyny in the premodern world. 1c. The first defenses of women. - 2. Equality and Difference: The homogeneous, the heterogeneous and fear to mixing. 2a. The origins of the feminist revolution. 2b. The invention of gender or equality. 2c. Sex claim or the idea od difference. -3. Private and Public: dichotomies and subordination. 3a. The sexual contract. 3b. The personal is political. 3c. Towards a feminist theory of the state. -4. Sex, gender and sexual identity. 4a. The male position. 4b. Queer theory. 4c. Sexual identities. READINGS: The basic reading will be S. Agacinski: Sex Politics. The readings below are required and will be discussed at the seminars. Plato: Republic, Book V. Aristotle: Politics, Book I. S. Agacinski: Metaphysics of the Sexes. M. Wollstonecraft: A Vindication of the Rights of Women. J. S. Mill: Essays on Marriage and Divorce. S. de Beauvoir: The Second Sex. A. Leclerc: Word of Women. C. Pateman: The Sexual Contract. C. MacKinnon: Toward a feminist theory of the state. E. Badinter, XY. On Male's Condition. M. Witig: The Straight Mind and Other Essays. J. Butler: Gender Trouble.
Learning activities and methodology
The teaching methodology will include: (1) Lectures, which will present and contextualize the notions students should acquire. To facilitate learning, the teacher will provide with basic reference texts, and a number of specific readings for each session. (2) Seminars, where work will be organized so that each day a student (speaker) undertakes to lead the discussion of a text, raising relevant issues and questions, and a second student has to be prepared to give the reply to the first, while the rest of the class should come prepared with relevant questions on the same text, should contribute to the debate, with new questions, analysis, answers etc. (3) In each of these seminars a question will arise that will be addressed in a brief individual paper. Each student must submit 3 papers.
Assessment System
  • % end-of-term-examination 45
  • % of continuous assessment (assigments, laboratory, practicals...) 55

The course syllabus may change due academic events or other reasons.