ENG5732 - Constructions of Gender

Objectives:

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
Demonstrate knowledge and critical appreciation of a range of works, by women and men, in different genres.
Demonstrate understanding of the ways in which gender may be constructed in writing.
Demonstrate understanding of some of the key debates concerning literature and gender and language and gender.
Demonstrate understanding of the impact of social, cultural, and economic contexts on the construction of gender in literary works.
Apply key gender theories to the critical study of a selection of texts.

Content:

This course will give students the opportunity to engage in some of the debates about gender which literary critics and literary theorists have raised. The course will introduce students to a diverse range of critical perspectives on gender from the 1960s to the present: Anglo-American feminism; recent feminisms such as Black Feminism, Third-World Feminism and Islamic Feminism; intersectionality; masculinities; gay and lesbian studies and queer theory; French feminism; and gender performativity. Students will also have the opportunity to read selected texts – including contemporary work by writers such as Jeanette Winterson and Tony Parsons – in the light of these theories, and to reflect on the wider social values and relevance of gender theory to today’s society.

Learning and Teaching Information:

The sessions of this course will lead students from tutor-directed learning towards student-centred learning. Earlier sessions will consist of a combination of presentations by the tutor and exercises and discussions among the students. Over the course of the module, the focus will shift towards student contributions and informal seminar presentations, in preparation for an assessed presentation at the end of the semester.

Workshops
Contact hours: 30
intended Group size: 25

Tutorials
Contact hours: 1
intended Group size: 1-2

Guided independent study
Hours: 169

Further details relating to assessment
Assessment 2 - Presentation: students will relate course theories to 'real-world' situations. Students will be encouraged to use role-play and PowerPoint as appropriate. Presentations will be individual or in pairs.

Other relevant matters
Students will have the opportunity to discuss essay ideas and a brief plan in an individual tutorial. A session will be devoted to preparing the presentations, and students will have the opportunity to discuss ideas and show their slides in a tutorial.

Assessment:

001 Essay; 2,000 words; mid-semester 1 50%
002 Presentation; 10mins; end of semester 1 50%

Fact File

Module Coordinator - Professor Jane De Gay
Level - 5
Credit Value - 20
Pre-Requisites - NONE
Semester(s) Offered - 5S1

Click here to go back to previous page