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 Sexuality and Power: The Social Relations of Sex and the Sexes - POLS2041
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Contact: Farrer,Vanessa Rachael
 
 
Campus: Kensington Campus
 
 
Career: Undergraduate
 
 
Units of Credit: 6
 
 
EFTSL: 0.125 (more info)
 
 
Contact Hours per Week: 3
 
 
Enrolment Requirements:
 
 
Prerequisite: 36 units of credit; Excluded: POLS3049, WOMS2006
 
 
Session Offered: See Class Timetable
 
 
Fee Band: 1 (more info)
 
  

Description

Introduces some of the main theories of power and of sexuality; analyses different sexualities, and issues relating to sexuality, in the context of theories of power. Topics include compulsory heterosexuality; the construction of masculinity, femininity and desire; marriage and prostitution; sexuality and work; body politics; and pornography and popular culture.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this course students should be able to:
  • grasp the ways in which sexuality is political and to engage with central debates in the field
  • demonstrate a greater awareness of (the often implicit) power relations that construct and regulate the 'normal' and 'everyday' patterns of sexual identities and relations
  • understand the ways in which our own subjectivity is shaped by prevailing discourses
  • critically reflect upon the politics of sexuality in daily life, be it in advertising, popular culture, public policy, social institutions or in social relations
  • to think critically, to question and better defend their own ideas in relation to sexuality and issues of power.

Assessment

  • Essay (2500 words) - 40%
  • Class test 1 - 20%
  • Class test 2 - 20%
  • Written tutorial work - 10%
  • Tutorial participation - 10%

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