WMST2015 Sex, Gender and the Law

Do sex, gender and sexualities matter in Australian law? Do men and women experience legal regulation in identical ways? We tend to think of sex and sexualities as 'private matters' as somehow beyond the regulatory reach of the law. This topic challenges that conception by exploring the interplay of sex/gender, sexualities and the law in areas such as domestic violence, marriage and marriage-like relationships, sexual violence, and reproductive autonomy. It also examines the relationship between gender and crime: who commits crime? Who has crime committed against them? Students will be exposed to a wide range of perspectives, and will be encouraged to research several areas of debate in depth.

The topic gives students the opportunity to survey, analyse and evaluate a range of ideas and issues located at the intersection of sex/gender, sexualities and the law in Australia. It equips students with skills and knowledge to undertake theoretical and applied critical analysis, offering learning activities and assessment options designed to enhance students' collaborative, independent, and ethical learning.

1. Describe and analyse how sex, gender and sexualities are understood in a number of law-related debates concerning the government of gendered social and/or `private' life in Australia
2. Assess the strengths and weaknesses of different feminist strategies and interventions in Australian socio-legal issues
3. Criticise and evaluate claims to sexual equality and/or neutrality in Australian law and society
4. Develop your ability to research, analyse, criticise and evaluate scholarship relating to sex/gender, sexualitites and the law
5. Enrich and develop your skills in reasoning, reading, group work, written and oral communication in collaborative, independent and ethical ways