Introducing Gender: Sex, Sport and Film

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2012:

48 contact hours
24 hours of class preparation and reading
40 hours of assessment-related tasks
Total time commitment: 102 hours per semester, 8.5 hours per week

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Objectives, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability will impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and the Disability Liaison Unit: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

This subject provides a general introduction to the field of gender studies through the study of a range of films about sport, sex and sexuality. It examines major issues in gender studies such as biological and social determinism, equality, feminism, femininity and masculinity, and sexuality as they are contextualized within sport. The subject also analyses how gender can never be studied in isolation and always intersects with other issues including ageing, class, disability, and race. Through examining sports films, gender as both a cultural and social phenomenon will be considered. Additionally, through analyses of a variety of athletic activities, including amateur and professional, and individual and team sports, such as athletics, basketball, boxing, cheerleading, soccer, surfing, and tennis, the relationship between theories about gender and material practices will be reflected on. The subject will provide a foundation in the ideas of a number of key thinkers in gender theory, film theory and sports studies. Employing sport as the backdrop against which to introduce the study of gender also provides a unique way through which to examine how cultural theory interconnects with material practices and everyday life.

On completion of this subjects students should be able to:

• communicate an understanding of key concepts and terms from gender studies

• demonstrate various ways in which gender theory can productively be employed in the study of visual culture

• have the skills and confidence to take the initiative in relating theoretical ideas covered on the course to culture more broadly

• organize material into coherent and convincing arguments in their written work

• employ close reading skills in relation to both texts and images

This subject is equivalent to 4,000 words consisting of:

Weekly Journal - Due Week 12 (50%)
Research Essay of 1000 Words - Due Week 6 (25%)
Take Home Exam - During examination period (25%)

A Subject Reader will be available.

This subject potentially can be taken as a breadth subject component for the following courses:

• Bachelor of Biomedicine
• Bachelor of Commerce
• Bachelor of Environments
• Bachelor of Science
• Bachelor of Engineering

You should visit learn more about breadth subjects and read the breadth requirements for your degree, and should discuss your choice with your student adviser, before deciding on your subjects.

On completion of this subjects students will :

• be skilled in critical thinking and analysis

• cultivate written communication skills

• develop an understanding of cultural and social contexts

• be skilled at managing time and resources effectively