Introduction to the course, learning goals, questions for the course

Prompt:
“Gender refers to the characteristics of women, men, girls and boys that are socially constructed. This includes norms, behaviours and roles associated with being a woman, man, girl or boy, as well as relationships with each other. As a social construct, gender varies from society to society and can change over time.
Gender is hierarchical and produces inequalities that intersect with other social and economic inequalities. Gender-based discrimination intersects with other factors of discrimination, such as ethnicity, socioeconomic status, disability, age, geographic location, gender identity, and sexual orientation, among others. This is referred to as intersectionality.” (World Health Organization)”

What is gender and why does it matter?

Discussion: What does gender mean to you? What is the difference between gender and sexuality? In what areas of your life do gender and sexuality matter?

History of gender

Sexuality is bound up with gender identity, but in more complex ways than was previously imagined or recognized. Dominant conceptions of sexuality imagine gender and sexuality in terms of neat binaries – male and female, heterosexual or homosexual, with a little ground of bisexuality in the middle. Deviations from accepted performances of gender are often sexualized. Today’s class will explore the complex relationship between gender and sexuality and the contribution of feminist theories to this matter.

Constructing gender – gender binary and political construction of gender

For much of history and in many cultural settings women and men, girls and boys have been constructed as ‘opposite’ sexes. In today’s class we will explore the construction of this gender binary and the ways in which this operates to produce and reproduce inequality

LGBTQI+

Terminology, figures, bodily integrity issues, discrimination. In a world where gender has been neatly constructed into a binary of male and female, intersex and trans gender people create disorder. The newly emerging field of trans studies raises many question about the stability of sex and gender as categories, the extent to which they are external to or embedded in the individuals who experience them, whether they are biologically or socially based. Today’s class will take a brief look at newly emerging knowledge about transgender and intersex people.

Constructing masculinities and femininities

Key ideas about the construction of masculinities and femininities. Masculities: consider the plurality of the male subject by focusing on both hegemonic and also subordinate masculinities; consider male power, identity and the discourse of masculine. Femininities: from the cult of domesticity, that emerged in the 19th century in North America and the United Kingdom and then reemerged again in the 1950s, constructed women as housewives and mothers first and foremost. Women who could not emulate this idea were not ‘true’ women. The ‘professional’ housewife – sengyo shufu (専業主婦) – is still the hegemonic form of femininity in Japan today and sets the standard of the ‘true woman’ In this class we will explore the cult of domesticity and feminist critiques of this.

Feminization of global migration and gendered migration

Women’s role in migration and increasing issues in LGBTQ migration

Dating, hookup culture and family as gendered institutions

Socialization is an important process in our upbringing and most of the times family is the first social institution that we experience. For these reasons, the more gendered it is, the more gendered worldview we receive.

Violence against women: intimate partner violence and domestic violence

Different types of violence in intimate relationships, ways to detect intimate partner violence and measures different societies implement to tackle the issue.

Gendered organizations, work and women in international organizations

We resocialize in the process of acquiring professional skills and defining our professional paths as individuals. In this class, we will discuss how our gender affects professional paths choices, how our careers are affected by our gender, and how working environment is a gendered space. Institutions and organizations are important source of belief about gender. They are sites where gender is constructed, reconstructed and legitimized. Thus direct attention to the practices and policies of organizations, and to the material and symbolic dimensions of large-scale social institutions - such as education, work or family – is necessary to understand the role they play in the perpetuation of gender distinctions and inequalities.

Gender and religion

For centuries, women in organized religions have essentially been relegated to the shadows of the major monotheistic faiths while male-dominated religious hierarchies have determined the course and content of their particular creeds. Recent history has witnessed changes — including the ordination of women as priests in certain Christian denominations — but in many major religions, women's power remains proscribed. This class will examine how religion and the religious construct reconstruct and deconstruct gender norms and practices. We will explore some key concepts and issues such as androcentrism and patriarchy, and feminist critiques to these.

Gender, education and media

Feminists drew attention early on to the ‘gender gap’, where boys spent more years in education and performed better in science, maths and technology. Early studies focused on gender bias in textbooks and teaching materials, and teacher-student interactions often reinforced gender stereotypes. More recently, however, the concern has been that boys are underachieving and there is much concern about the ‘feminization of schools’. This class will explore issues around gender and education.

Gender in Japan

Women’s reproductive capacity has been regarded by some feminists as the key to their oppression. In this class we will first explore the politics of reproductive choice and also consider where men fit in to the discourse surrounding reproductive freedoms and access to new reproductive technologies.
Secondly, this class will consider the politics surrounding who does childcare and housework. How do societies organize these tasks and what is the impact on work practices and family lives? Thirdly, we will employ the concept of ‘gendered institutions’ to consider the different positioning of men and women in many workplaces, and the impact of this on financial independence.

Exam

Take-home exam

30% - exam to test your understanding of the terms and concepts used in the course. It will consist of several short essay questions.
30% - class participation and reflections. Students’ participation grade is based on active participation in lectures, discussions, submission of class reflections, and consistent, thorough reading of course material.
40% - group presentation and post-presentation write-up. The post-presentation write-up is 1,000-1,500 word essay, which should include an overview of the presentation, reference to at least 3 additional readings, and a post-presentation self-evaluation of its quality. Include handouts or PPt files, if relevant.