Gender Studies

Gender Studies considers the significance of gender and sexuality across a broad range of cultural contexts, identities and histories. The program analyses how gender intersects with crucial issues such as ageing, class, disability, ethnicity and globalisation. Subjects consider ideas about femininity, masculinity and sexuality through close engagement with an extensive variety of theorists, case studies and media. Gender Studies is transdisciplinary and draws on the diverse interests of specialists located throughout the Faculty. This enables its students to develop a unique combination of research skills drawn from both the Arts and Social Sciences.

Students who complete this major will:

• Have developed a detailed knowledge and understanding of how concepts and practices of gender and sexuality function in contemporary societies;
• Acquire critical and analytical skills and methods to enable the
 identification and critical analysis of gender- and sexuality-related issues within complex, changing social and cultural contexts;
• Articulate the relationship between diverse forms of knowledge on gender and sexuality and the social, historical and cultural contexts that produced them;
• Develop an independent approach to understanding the cross-disciplinary field of gender studies that uses rigorous methods of inquiry and appropriate methodologies, that are applied with intellectual honesty and a respect for ethical values;
• Appreciate the value of an international and interdisciplinary approach to the study of gender and sexuality, and the relevance of gender studies skills, practices and understandings to a broad range of professional and disciplinary contexts;
• Work with independence, self-reflection and creativity to meet goals and challenges in the workplace and personal life;
• Deploy insights generated from their intellectual engagements with gender studies to act as informed and critically discriminating participants within the community of scholars, as citizens and in the work force;
• Communicate their knowledge effectively in a variety of oral and written 
formats;
• Be able to work effectively in groups, with awareness and sensitivity to diversity of backgrounds and cultural difference, in order to address shared goals.

Gender Studies is available as both a major and minor sequence.

MAJOR

A 100 point major sequence is made up of the following:

Level 1 (25 points)

• GEND10001 Gender, Sex and Culture: An Introduction (compulsory); and
• One Arts Foundation Subject (MULT10014 Identity is strongly recommended)

Level 2 (37.5 points)

• GEND20008 Sex and Gender Present and Future (compulsory); and
• 25 points of level 2 Gender Studies subjects and/ or approved elective subjects*

Level 3 (37.5 points)

• GEND30003 Gender at Work in the World (compulsory capstone); and
• 25 points of level 3 Gender Studies subjects and/ or approved elective subjects*

*NOTE: As long as all 3 compulsory Gender Studies subjects are completed, students taking the Gender Studies major or minor may select different gender-related subjects taught in the Arts Faculty not listed below to make up the required additional points at levels 2 and 3, with the written approval of the Gender Studies coordinator.

Total 100 points

MINOR

A 75 point minor sequence is made up of the following:

Level 1 (25 points)

• GEND10001 Gender, Sex and Culture: An Introduction (compulsory)
• One Arts Foundation Subject (12.5 points)

Level 2 (25 points)

• 25 points of level 2 Gender Studies subjects and/ or approved elective subjects

Level 3 (25 points)

• 25 points of level 3 Gender Studies subjects and/ or approved elective subjects

*The Capstone is not available in the minor.

Gender Studies - Level 1

Students completing a major or minor in Gender Studies must complete the following subject and one Arts Foundation Subject.

Gender Studies - Level 2 Compulsory Subject

This subject is compulsory for students undertaking the Gender Studies major. It is highly recommended that students completing the Gender Studies minor complete this subject.

Level 2 Approved Electives

Level 3 Capstone Subject

Students completing a major in Gender Studies must complete the capstone subject.

Level 3 Approved Electives