Students

GEN 110 – Foundations in Gender Studies

2018 – S1 External

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor
Dr Rebecca Sheehan
Contact via email
W6A831
by appointment
Credit points Credit points
3
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
What it means to be identified as male, female, or other on the gender spectrum varies with time and place. Meanings of gender and challenges to them are tied up with the dynamics of power, with dreams of freedom, with the distribution of resources, and with cultural representations in a society's gender order. This unit is an introduction to Gender Studies, an interdisciplinary field that seeks to understand gendered meanings and differences, to recognize how these interlock with sexuality, race, class, disability, and other identities, and to analyse how such intersecting identities shape human experience at the social and individual level. We establish foundational knowledge of and key concepts in how gender has been theorised and researched over time, particularly since the late 1960s, and explore the interactions between grassroots gender liberation movements and scholarship in disciplines across the social sciences and humanities. The unit can be taken as a one-off elective in any degree, or in pursuit of a major or minor in Gender Studies.

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:

  • Analyse key concepts about gender, its intersections with other identities, and how these shape and are shaped by social, cultural, economic, and political institutions.
  • Examine Gender Studies as an interdisciplinary field and its contribution to understanding the contemporary world.
  • Review the historical development of different forms of feminism, what they have contributed the field of Gender Studies, and why they matter today.
  • Demonstrate the ability to research and synthesise media and scholarly texts.
  • Comprehend the relationship between scholarship, activism, and life. The material itself, which focuses on a range of contemporary issues to do with gender and other identities, will help you to develop a greater understanding of yourself and your world.

General Assessment Information

There are 5 assessments in GEN110, consisting of weekly tutorial participation, weekly multiple choice quizzes, a key concepts comprehension task, an essay, and a research skills quiz. Taken together, the tasks are designed to aid your learning, test your understanding of the unit material, and give you core skills for doing well at university.

Tasks 3 and 4 must be submitted via Turnitin.

Students should be aware of the following policies in regard to assignments:

Academic Honesty Policy: http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html. 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 through AskMQ. 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/disruption-to-studies. 

Late Assessment Penalty

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply—two (2) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date—and (b) no assignment will be accepted more than seven (7) 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 10% No Weekly
Quizzes 20% No Ongoing from weeks 2-11
Key concepts comprehension 25% No Sunday Week 5
Final essay 40% No Sunday Week 13
Research Skills Quiz 5% No Throughout semester

Online tutorial participation

Due: Weekly
Weighting: 10%

External students: Active engagement in discussion is an important part of university learning. Online tutorial participation is required each week of the semester. 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 participate in 80% of the tutorials. Active participation in less than 80% of tutorials will incur a ‘fail’ unless exceptional circumstances prevail and Special Consideration is granted.


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.
  • Examine Gender Studies as an interdisciplinary field and its contribution to understanding the contemporary world.
  • Review the historical development of different forms of feminism, what they have contributed the field of Gender Studies, and why they matter today.
  • Demonstrate the ability to research and synthesise media and scholarly texts.
  • Comprehend the relationship between scholarship, activism, and life. The material itself, which focuses on a range of contemporary issues to do with gender and other identities, will help you to develop a greater understanding of yourself and your world.

Quizzes

Due: Ongoing from weeks 2-11
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). Quizzes are scheduled to start on Wednesdays after lectures and close on the following Tuesdays at midnight. This means that the quizzes have a deadline, and they must be completed in the one week window of time that they are open. 

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.


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.
  • Examine Gender Studies as an interdisciplinary field and its contribution to understanding the contemporary world.
  • Review the historical development of different forms of feminism, what they have contributed the field of Gender Studies, and why they matter today.
  • Demonstrate the ability to research and synthesise media and scholarly texts.
  • Comprehend the relationship between scholarship, activism, and life. The material itself, which focuses on a range of contemporary issues to do with gender and other identities, will help you to develop a greater understanding of yourself and your world.

Key concepts comprehension

Due: Sunday Week 5
Weighting: 25%

Write a maximum 1,250 word analytical response to the assignment task (see the document with details on iLearn).


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.
  • Examine Gender Studies as an interdisciplinary field and its contribution to understanding the contemporary world.
  • Review the historical development of different forms of feminism, what they have contributed the field of Gender Studies, and why they matter today.
  • Demonstrate the ability to research and synthesise media and scholarly texts.
  • Comprehend the relationship between scholarship, activism, and life. The material itself, which focuses on a range of contemporary issues to do with gender and other identities, will help you to develop a greater understanding of yourself and your world.

Final essay

Due: Sunday Week 13
Weighting: 40%

Write a 1,500 word analytical essay on ONE of the questions (see document on iLearn for details).


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.
  • Examine Gender Studies as an interdisciplinary field and its contribution to understanding the contemporary world.
  • Review the historical development of different forms of feminism, what they have contributed the field of Gender Studies, and why they matter today.
  • Demonstrate the ability to research and synthesise media and scholarly texts.
  • Comprehend the relationship between scholarship, activism, and life. The material itself, which focuses on a range of contemporary issues to do with gender and other identities, will help you to develop a greater understanding of yourself and your world.

Research Skills Quiz

Due: Throughout semester
Weighting: 5%

To help you prepare for doing well in assessment tasks, you will be required to undertake three University Research Skills modules including University Study Skills and Resources, Research and Referencing, and Academic Integrity. Each module has a quiz testing skills developed in that module. These modules orient you to and develop critical academic skills that you will build on throughout your degree. The average results of the quizzes will comprise 5 per cent of the overall mark for GEN110.

Further information is available on our iLearn site where you can access and undertake the modules online during the semester.

 


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 the ability to research and synthesise media and scholarly texts.

Delivery and Resources

Lectures will be on Wednesdays, 2pm to 4pm. The lecture room is: X5B T1.

Lectures will be recorded.

Please note that lectures and tutorials start in the first week of S1 classes.

All readings are available via Leganto.

Unit Schedule

UNIT SCHEDULE

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

Week 1

Feb 28

Lecture 1: Introduction: What is Gender Studies?

 

Tutorial

Introduction

Week 2

March 7

Lecture 2: Bodies, Brains, and Binaries

 

Tutorial

19th century beliefs: on brains and representations of Indigenous womanhood

Week 3

March 14

Lecture 3: Feminisms

**discussion of key concepts essay

 

Tutorial

1970s feminist writings

Week 4

March 21

Lecture 4: Femininities

**general feedback on progress so far

 

Tutorial

Filipina and Muslim women

Week 5

March 28

Lecture 5: Men’s Rights and Masculinity Studies

 

Tutorial

Prisoners of sex?

Key concepts essay due

Sun April 1

 

Week 6

April 4

Lecture 6: Masculinities

 

Tutorial

Australian masculinities

Week 7

April 11

Lecture 7: Sexualities

 

Tutorial

Gay liberation

SESSION BREAK

Mon April 16-Fri 27

 

Week 8

May 2

Lecture 8: Film screening: Paris is Burning

 

Tutorial

Performativity and Queer Theory

Week 9

May 9

Lecture 9: Third Wave Feminisms; the Transgender Movement

**discussion of final essay

 

Tutorial

Intersectional feminism, transgender liberation

Week 10

May 16

Lecture 10: Intersex and Trans* Spectrums

 

Tutorial

Sexes, Genders, and Difference

Week 11

May 23

Lecture 11: Gender and Intimacy

 

Tutorial

Sexual assault and pornography

Week 12

May 30

Lecture 12: Gender and Nation and Conclusions

 

Tutorial

Gender and Australian identity

Week 13

June 6

Lecture 13: No lecture this week. Please use the time to work on your final essay.

 

Tutorial

No tutorial this week. Use time to work on final essay and consult with convenor and tutors if needed.

Final essay due

Sun June 10

 

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

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

If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct​

Results

Results shown in iLearn, 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.

Requests for Extensions and Late Penalties

To apply for an extension of more than 5 working days, please complete the disruption to studies notification and submitted online through AskMQ. See the Disruption to Studies Policy above and find further details here: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/my-study-program/special-consideration/disruption-to-studies

Late assessments without an approved extension will incur a penalty of two marks (out of 100) per working day (ie. week day).

 

Student Support

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

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

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.

Graduate Capabilities

Creative and Innovative

Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Analyse key concepts about gender, its intersections with other identities, and how these shape and are shaped by social, cultural, economic, and political institutions.
  • Examine Gender Studies as an interdisciplinary field and its contribution to understanding the contemporary world.
  • Demonstrate the ability to research and synthesise media and scholarly texts.
  • Comprehend the relationship between scholarship, activism, and life. The material itself, which focuses on a range of contemporary issues to do with gender and other identities, will help you to develop a greater understanding of yourself and your world.

Assessment tasks

  • Online tutorial participation
  • Key concepts comprehension
  • Final essay

Capable of Professional and Personal Judgement and Initiative

We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Analyse key concepts about gender, its intersections with other identities, and how these shape and are shaped by social, cultural, economic, and political institutions.
  • Examine Gender Studies as an interdisciplinary field and its contribution to understanding the contemporary world.
  • Demonstrate the ability to research and synthesise media and scholarly texts.
  • Comprehend the relationship between scholarship, activism, and life. The material itself, which focuses on a range of contemporary issues to do with gender and other identities, will help you to develop a greater understanding of yourself and your world.

Assessment tasks

  • Online tutorial participation
  • Quizzes
  • Key concepts comprehension
  • Final essay

Commitment to Continuous Learning

Our graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as they participate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships with others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Analyse key concepts about gender, its intersections with other identities, and how these shape and are shaped by social, cultural, economic, and political institutions.
  • Examine Gender Studies as an interdisciplinary field and its contribution to understanding the contemporary world.
  • Review the historical development of different forms of feminism, what they have contributed the field of Gender Studies, and why they matter today.
  • Demonstrate the ability to research and synthesise media and scholarly texts.
  • Comprehend the relationship between scholarship, activism, and life. The material itself, which focuses on a range of contemporary issues to do with gender and other identities, will help you to develop a greater understanding of yourself and your world.

Assessment tasks

  • Online tutorial participation
  • Quizzes
  • Key concepts comprehension
  • Final essay
  • Research Skills Quiz

Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills

Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Analyse key concepts about gender, its intersections with other identities, and how these shape and are shaped by social, cultural, economic, and political institutions.
  • Examine Gender Studies as an interdisciplinary field and its contribution to understanding the contemporary world.
  • Review the historical development of different forms of feminism, what they have contributed the field of Gender Studies, and why they matter today.
  • Demonstrate the ability to research and synthesise media and scholarly texts.
  • Comprehend the relationship between scholarship, activism, and life. The material itself, which focuses on a range of contemporary issues to do with gender and other identities, will help you to develop a greater understanding of yourself and your world.

Assessment tasks

  • Online tutorial participation
  • Quizzes
  • Key concepts comprehension
  • Final essay
  • Research Skills Quiz

Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Analyse key concepts about gender, its intersections with other identities, and how these shape and are shaped by social, cultural, economic, and political institutions.
  • Examine Gender Studies as an interdisciplinary field and its contribution to understanding the contemporary world.
  • Review the historical development of different forms of feminism, what they have contributed the field of Gender Studies, and why they matter today.
  • Demonstrate the ability to research and synthesise media and scholarly texts.
  • Comprehend the relationship between scholarship, activism, and life. The material itself, which focuses on a range of contemporary issues to do with gender and other identities, will help you to develop a greater understanding of yourself and your world.

Assessment tasks

  • Online tutorial participation
  • Quizzes
  • Key concepts comprehension
  • Final essay
  • Research Skills Quiz

Problem Solving and Research Capability

Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Analyse key concepts about gender, its intersections with other identities, and how these shape and are shaped by social, cultural, economic, and political institutions.
  • Examine Gender Studies as an interdisciplinary field and its contribution to understanding the contemporary world.
  • Demonstrate the ability to research and synthesise media and scholarly texts.
  • Comprehend the relationship between scholarship, activism, and life. The material itself, which focuses on a range of contemporary issues to do with gender and other identities, will help you to develop a greater understanding of yourself and your world.

Assessment tasks

  • Online tutorial participation
  • Quizzes
  • Key concepts comprehension
  • Final essay

Effective Communication

We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • Demonstrate the ability to research and synthesise media and scholarly texts.

Assessment tasks

  • Online tutorial participation
  • Key concepts comprehension
  • Final essay

Engaged and Ethical Local and Global citizens

As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Analyse key concepts about gender, its intersections with other identities, and how these shape and are shaped by social, cultural, economic, and political institutions.
  • Examine Gender Studies as an interdisciplinary field and its contribution to understanding the contemporary world.
  • Review the historical development of different forms of feminism, what they have contributed the field of Gender Studies, and why they matter today.
  • Demonstrate the ability to research and synthesise media and scholarly texts.
  • Comprehend the relationship between scholarship, activism, and life. The material itself, which focuses on a range of contemporary issues to do with gender and other identities, will help you to develop a greater understanding of yourself and your world.

Assessment tasks

  • Online tutorial participation
  • Key concepts comprehension
  • Final essay
  • Research Skills Quiz

Socially and Environmentally Active and Responsible

We want our graduates to be aware of and have respect for self and others; to be able to work with others as a leader and a team player; to have a sense of connectedness with others and country; and to have a sense of mutual obligation. Our graduates should be informed and active participants in moving society towards sustainability.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Analyse key concepts about gender, its intersections with other identities, and how these shape and are shaped by social, cultural, economic, and political institutions.
  • Examine Gender Studies as an interdisciplinary field and its contribution to understanding the contemporary world.
  • Review the historical development of different forms of feminism, what they have contributed the field of Gender Studies, and why they matter today.
  • Demonstrate the ability to research and synthesise media and scholarly texts.
  • Comprehend the relationship between scholarship, activism, and life. The material itself, which focuses on a range of contemporary issues to do with gender and other identities, will help you to develop a greater understanding of yourself and your world.

Assessment tasks

  • Online tutorial participation
  • Key concepts comprehension
  • Final essay

Changes from Previous Offering

All existing material is updated each year to reflect relevant developments in society and research

We will continue to seek and respond to student feedback on all aspects of the unit, so that it works in well with student interests, capabilities and needs.

The group presentation has been removed, and the new study skills quiz has been added.