WST 210
Reading Gender in Everyday Life
Convenor : Dr Judy Lattas, Women’s Studies
Contact details : Room C3B 521; Phone: 9850 7947;
e-mail: jlattas@scmp.mq.edu.au
Schedule info : First semester—X; Second semester— I (D; E);— 4 credit points
Internet address:http://learn.mq.edu.au
As the name implies, Reading Gender in Everyday Life examines how gender functions in our day-to-day lives. We look closely at common activities like shopping, eating, grooming, talking, reading, going to the movies, using cosmetic surgery, getting married and more, to examine some of the discourses— biological, cultural, social, anthropological—that reproduce ideas of masculinity and femininity, of being a man or woman. We look at intersections of gender with class, ethnicity, and race. We will also introduce you to some of the influential ideas on how gender works, theories by European philosophers like Freud and Foucault, as well as essays by feminist activists and postmodern writers on gender and sexuality.
Enrolment
Students do not have to be feminists, nor are feminists particularly privileged as students, but feminist material will be presented and must be engaged with. Men are welcome in the unit. The unit is offered through the Division of SCMP. Staff from our program or from the Division of Society, Culture, Media and Philosophy can sign you into this unit.
Class requirements
This unit requires weekly attendance at one two-hour lecture and one one-hour tutorial.
One two-hour lecture Wednesday: Noon—2pm, Room E6A 133
Choose one one-hour
tutorial Wednesday 11am; 3:00pm; 4:00pm.
NB: Tutorials begin in the second week of semester.
Assessment
Student assessment will be based on 2 summaries of 500 words each ( 30% ), a web cruise (15%) a research essay of 2,000 words ( 40%) , as well as classroom/ on-line tutorial participation (15%).
Flexibility
This unit is available by distance. Lectures for the unit are available ‘on-line’ and are sent out to distance students on tape as well. Tutorials are managed through an on-line discussion group, which is available flexibly (log in and participate when you can). All lectures will also be taped and available in the library. The lecturer or a tutor will be available in a ‘chat room’ to answer questions about the lecture. There will be plentiful help available for students new to the internet. In second semester, many of the on-line facilities will be available to all students enrolled in the unit (i.e. not just distance students).
Texts
A book of required readings for WST210 will be available through the Co-op Bookshop at Macquarie University.