Students

GENX1000 – Freedom Dreams: Foundations in Gender Studies

2022 – Session 1, Online-flexible

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Convenor
Rebecca Sheehan
Contact via 98507947
Office C313, Level 3 West Wing, 25C Wally's Walk
By appointment
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit is an introduction to Gender Studies, an interdisciplinary field that analyses gender and how it intersects with sexuality, race, class, different abilities, and other identities. We establish foundational knowledge of and key concepts in how gender has been theorised and debated through exploring grassroots gender liberation activism including feminism, gay liberation, and the trans and intersex movements.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Analyse key concepts about gender, its intersections with other identities, and how these shape and are shaped by social, cultural, economic, and political institutions.
  • ULO2: Demonstrate an understanding of Gender Studies as an interdisciplinary field and its contribution to understanding the contemporary world.
  • ULO3: Demonstrate an understanding of historical development of different forms of feminism, what they have contributed the field of Gender Studies, and why they matter today.
  • ULO4: Research and synthesise media and scholarly texts.

General Assessment Information

There are 4 assessments in GEND1000 consisting of weekly tutorial participation, weekly multiple choice quizzes, and two written assignments. 

Tutorial participation

Due: Weekly Weighting: 20%

Active engagement in discussion is an important part of university learning. You are required to attend and participate in tutorials each week via an online discussion forum available on iLearn. Your mark will reflect the quality and quantity of your participation. It takes into consideration:

  • your knowledge of the material (you show evidence that you have listened to the lectures and done the required reading)
  • your active participation in discussions and tasks. This includes, at minimum, responding to questions posed by the tutor and responding to what others in your tutorial have said.
  • your overall contribution.

Note that you are expected to contribute to tutorials and that failure to contribute could mean that you fail the unit overall (unless exceptional circumstances prevail and Special Consideration is granted).

Quizzes

Due: Weekly. Weighting: 20%

Students will be required to complete a multiple choice quiz each week: 10 quizzes in total, equalling 20 questions. The quizzes will ask you about content from the lectures and from your weekly readings. Each quiz contains 2 questions (2 questions per topic, 1 topics per week=2 questions each week x 10 weeks = 20 questions total). 

Students are advised to start attempting the quizzes well ahead of the deadline. There are no extensions, including for last-minute technical problems or forgetting to submit on time. You will need to provide documentation explaining your absence for the entire duration of a quiz (one week) in order to apply for special consideration. Please be advised that the convenor will not respond to any requests to re-open quizzes, to extend their deadlines, or to open them early.

It is very important to click on the save button for each answer as you go, and when you are happy with your answers, click on the submit button. Without saving each answer and submitting them at the end, they will not be counted. You will be able to change your mind on a saved answer, and save it again, as many times as you want before submitting it. Your saved answers can be retrieved even if you forget to submit them; if they are not saved, however, they cannot be retrieved and will not count.

Mid-semester take home open book exam

Due: Friday Week 7 Weighting: 20%

Short analyses of key concepts based on unit lectures and readings. 1200 words total. See iLearn for more information about this task. 

Final essay

Due: Friday Week 13 Weighting: 40%

Write a 1,500 word analytical essay on ONE of the questions. See iLearn for more information about this task. 

 

Please be aware of the following policies in regard to assignments:

Academic Integrity Policy: https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/academic-integrity. The university takes plagiarism very seriously and there are penalties for using other people's work as your own. This includes directly quoting other people's work without quotation marks and/or acknowledgement. Please check this unit's iLearn site for resources on how to cite your sources properly and avoid plagiarism.

Special Consideration Policy: https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/special-consideration

Assessment Policy: https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/assessment. For specifics on Grading Policy, click on the "Schedule 1" tab.

Requests for Extensions

To request an extension for a period up to and including 5 working days, please email your tutor.

To apply for an extension of more than 5 working days please complete a Special Consideration request and submit it online. For more information see the Special Consideration Policy above and find further details here: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/my-study-program/special-consideration. 

Late Assessment Penalty

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – 10 marks out of 100 credit will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted seven days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments—e.g. quizzes, online tests.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Online tutorial participation 20% No Weekly throughout semester
Quizzes 20% No Weekly (weeks 2-11)
Take home open book exam 20% No Week 7, Friday April 8, 11.59pm
Final research essay 40% No Week 13, Friday June 3, 11.59pm

Online tutorial participation

Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 31 hours
Due: Weekly throughout semester
Weighting: 20%

 

Active engagement in discussion is an important part of university learning. You are required to participate in an online tutorial each week. Your mark will reflect the quality and quantity of your participation. It takes into consideration: *your knowledge of the material (you show evidence that you have listened to the lectures and done the required reading) *your active participation in discussions and tasks. This includes, at minimum, responding to questions posed by the tutor and responding to what others in your tutorial have said. *your overall contribution.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Analyse key concepts about gender, its intersections with other identities, and how these shape and are shaped by social, cultural, economic, and political institutions.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of Gender Studies as an interdisciplinary field and its contribution to understanding the contemporary world.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of historical development of different forms of feminism, what they have contributed the field of Gender Studies, and why they matter today.
  • Research and synthesise media and scholarly texts.

Quizzes

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 35 hours
Due: Weekly (weeks 2-11)
Weighting: 20%

 

Students will be required to complete a weekly multiple choice quiz based on content from the lectures and from weekly readings.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Analyse key concepts about gender, its intersections with other identities, and how these shape and are shaped by social, cultural, economic, and political institutions.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of Gender Studies as an interdisciplinary field and its contribution to understanding the contemporary world.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of historical development of different forms of feminism, what they have contributed the field of Gender Studies, and why they matter today.
  • Research and synthesise media and scholarly texts.

Take home open book exam

Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 24 hours
Due: Week 7, Friday April 8, 11.59pm
Weighting: 20%

 

Short analyses of key concepts based on unit lectures and readings. 1200 words total.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Analyse key concepts about gender, its intersections with other identities, and how these shape and are shaped by social, cultural, economic, and political institutions.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of Gender Studies as an interdisciplinary field and its contribution to understanding the contemporary world.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of historical development of different forms of feminism, what they have contributed the field of Gender Studies, and why they matter today.
  • Research and synthesise media and scholarly texts.

Final research essay

Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 24 hours
Due: Week 13, Friday June 3, 11.59pm
Weighting: 40%

 

1500 word analytical essay on one of the questions provided

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Analyse key concepts about gender, its intersections with other identities, and how these shape and are shaped by social, cultural, economic, and political institutions.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of Gender Studies as an interdisciplinary field and its contribution to understanding the contemporary world.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of historical development of different forms of feminism, what they have contributed the field of Gender Studies, and why they matter today.
  • Research and synthesise media and scholarly texts.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

Delivery and Resources

Each week there will be a 2-hour lecture (whether it is delivered in person or online is yet to be determined based on the university's response to Covid) which is recorded and made availabile online so that you can watch it on demand. There will also be a 1 hour tutorial--either on campus or online.

Please see your timetables for the latest information on lecture and tutorials times. Please note that lectures and tutorials start in week 1.

All readings are available via Leganto through our iLearn site and the library.

Unit Schedule

UNIT SCHEDULE

Please note that schedule is a general guide and may be subject to change

Week 1

 

Lecture 1: Introduction: What is Gender Studies?

 

Tutorial

Introduction

Week 2

 

Lecture 2: Bodies, Brains, and Binaries

 

Tutorial

Gender: Nature or Culture?

Week 3

 

Lecture 3: 1970s Feminisms

 

Tutorial

Feminist manifestos

Week 4

 

Lecture 4: Third World to Contemporary Feminisms

 

Tutorial

Intersectional Feminisms

Week 5

 

Lecture 5: Femininities

 

Tutorial

Hegemonic Femininity and Intersectionality

Week 6

 

Lecture 6: Men’s Liberation and the Rise of Men’s Studies

 

Tutorial

Prisoners of Sex? Men’s Liberation and Masculinities

Week 7

 

Lecture 7: Masculinities

 

 Tutorial

Australian masculinities

TAKE HOME EXAM DUE

FRIDAY WEEK 7

SESSION BREAK

   

Week 8

 

Lecture 8: Sexualities

 

Tutorial

Gay Liberation

Week 9

 

Performativity and Queer Theory and Film Screening: Paris is Burning

 

Tutorial

Queer Theory

Week 10

 

Lecture 10: The Rise of the Transgender Movement and Trans Identities

 

Tutorial

Trans Identities

Week 11

 

Lecture 11: Intersex Spectrums; Intimacy; **discussion of final essay

 

Tutorial

Intersex Spectrums

Week 12

 

Lecture 12: Gender and Nation

 

Tutorial

Gender and Australian National Identity

Week 13

 

Tutorial

Lecture 13: Final assignments

Final assignments

FINAL ASSIGNMENT DUE

FRIDAY WEEK 13

 

 

 

 

 

 

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via AskMQ, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.


Unit information based on version 2022.03 of the Handbook