99994 - APPLIED GENDER STUDIES

Learning outcomes

The course aims at training students to apply gender studies’ key concepts and theoretical approaches to the analysis of a series of contemporary social challenges and transformations in the fields of culture, sexuality, work, technologies, and politics, amongst other. After completing the course, students can recognize gender as one of the basic principles organizing human society and culture, mobilize the gender studies’ concepts to produce a critical knowledge and apply a gender-sensitive perspective in imagining emancipatory strategies and policies.

Course contents

The course introduces students to the main analytical perspectives of gender studies by analysing a series of key-concepts developed by literature on women's studies, men's studies and queer studies.

Lectures will consider key-concepts such as gender order, intersectionality, heteronormativity, (positive) marginality, care, androcentrism, subjectivity and performativity. These concepts will be analysed theoretically and, later, will be applied to the analysis of concrete social phenomena and contemporary social transformation.

Lecture attendance is not compulsory, but strongly recommended.

Readings/Bibliography

Recommeded bibliography

- R. Connell (2009). Gender: In World Perspective. Polity Press.

- M. Evans and C. Williams (2012). Gender. The key concepts. Routledge.

- D. Haraway (1990). Simians, Cyborgs and Women. The reinvention of nature. Routledge.

- K. Crenshaw (2017). On intersectionality: Essential Writings. New Press.

- b. hooks (1984). Feminist theory. From margin to the center. Routledge.

Teaching methods

The course combines frontal lectures with seminars, group readings/discussions, and movie screening.

Frontal lectures are mainly aimed at introducing students to main concepts of gender studies.

The other teaching activities will help students to apply the concepts presented in the frontal lectures to concrete social phenomena and scenarios. These lectures will expose students to examples from more recent empirical studies and encourage their active involvement and critical thinking.

Through successfully completing this course, students will be better prepared to participate in and contribute effectively to the larger public conversation about the role of gender in society and to apply the critical tools of gender studies in their academic, personal and occupational lives.

Assessment methods

Students attending classes will be examined through an oral exam based on the materials and readings suggested in class. Students attending classes can also choose to be examined through a final written essay.

Non-attending students will be assessed through an oral exam based on the outlined bibliography.

Please consider these notes on assessment methods as only approximate and can change in consideration of the number of students enrolled in the course. Final decisions on the assessment methods will be taken together with students during the first classes of the course.

Teaching tools

Projector, PC, powerpoint slides, articles and documents suggested during the lessons.

Office hours

See the website of Ilaria Pitti