WMST1002 Gender, Power and Change: Introducing Feminist Debates

2016

4.5

1 x 1-hour tutorial weekly
1 x 2-hour seminar weekly

WMST2013 has been successfully completed

Associated major: Women's Studies

Bachelor of Psychology (Honours); Bachelor of Archaeology

Assignment(s), tutorial participation

This topic presents an introduction to contemporary feminist thought, and provides a basis for Women's Studies topics at upper levels. The topic addresses, as its core themes, feminist debates about the nature of gender, the way that gender shapes relations of power, and the ways that gender relations do and might change. The topic surveys a broad range of debates within and about feminism, illustrating and contextualising feminist thought with reference to a number of contemporary issues and debates about the changing circumstances of gender relations in Australia and globally. Critical thought about various strands of feminist theory will be encouraged. The topic will enhance students' oral and written communication skills and provide a useful introduction to Women's Studies topics at Second and Third Year level.

This topic presents an introduction to contemporary feminist thought, and aims to provide a sound basis for Women's Studies topics at upper levels. The topic offers opportunities to survey a range of debates within and about feminism, illustrating and contextualising feminist thought with reference to a number of contemporary issues and debates. The topic addresses, as its core theme, feminist debates concerning equality and difference. Critical thinking about the relevance and meaning of various strands of feminist theory will be encouraged.

Students must demonstrate their ability to identify, distinguish and evaluate the relevance and usefulness of different feminist approaches. As they read and research historical and contemporary feminist scholarship, students should develop an informed view of what constitutes feminist thought, and speculate on its effects and potential. Students should relate readings in feminism to social life more generally, and critically assess the strengths and weaknesses of competing feminist perspectives in their own lives.

This involves demonstrating the ability to structure and focus a coherently critical argument about feminism; finding appropriate sources of scholarly information about feminist thought and using those sources to support the position adopted; promoting and facilitating discussion on issues arising from debates relating to feminism.