SO260-15 Beyond the Binary: Trans-forming Gender
Introductory description
This module seeks to promote teaching on the historical and contemporary experiences of transgender people. It fosters critical analysis of gender in relation to trans binary and non-binary genders and focuses on the meaning of transgender for everyday social life in a local as well as global context.
Module aims
This moduleaims to introduce students to gender as beyond ‘the binary’ and introduce them to the theory and practice of trans epistemologies in contemporary society. Taking a trans-feminist perspective, the course recognizes the increasingly critical field of inquiry in trans binary and non-binary social life (including socio and medico legal frameworks) and how this is cross cut by other variables such as race, impairment, class, sexuality and religion. The course will address socio and medico legal issues such as healthcare, young people, surgery as well as research methodologies and media representation and presentation.
Outline syllabus
This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.
Week 1 Introduction: Trans Genealogies
Week 2 Feminism to Transfeminism
Weeks 3 Trans Healthcare
Week 4 Trans Activism and Media Representation
Week 5 Figuration and Transgender children
Week 6 reading week
Week 7 Crip Theory
Week 8 Decolonizing Transgender
Week 9 Trans Sexualities
Week 10 Researching Trans, Trans Research
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- The impact of trans as a form of knowledge both theoretically and politically.
- How trans (genderqueer, binary and non-binary trans, agender etc) issues are related to the feminist movement.
- Why trans/feminism offers a global perspective for decentering an anglocentric trans studies and politics
- How multiple forms of oppression converge, intersect and overlap and need to be understood beyond a focus on sexed difference
- How trans research and researching trans are deployed within sociology
Indicative reading list
Reading lists can be found in Talis
Subject specific skills
knowledge and critical understanding of the development and transformation of understandings of trans
ability to apply underlying concepts and principles outside the context in which they were first studied, including, where appropriate, the application of those principles in an employment context
an understanding of the limits of their knowledge, and how this influences analyses and interpretations based on that knowledge.
Transferable skills
effectively communicate information, arguments and analysis in a variety of forms to specialist and non-specialist audiences and deploy key sociological techniques effectively
the qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment requiring the exercise of personal responsibility and decision-making
Ability to further develop by refining existing skills and acquiring new competences.
Study time
| Type | Required |
|---|---|
| Lectures | 9 sessions of 1 hour (6%) |
| Seminars | 9 sessions of 1 hour (6%) |
| Private study | 132 hours (88%) |
| Total | 150 hours |
Private study description
Reading and preparing for seminars and for assessment
Costs
No further costs have been identified for this module.
You do not need to pass all assessment components to pass the module.
Students can register for this module without taking any assessment.
Assessment group A1
| Weighting | Study time | Eligible for self-certification | |
|---|---|---|---|
Assessment component |
|||
| 3,000 word essay | 100% | Yes (extension) | |
Reassessment component is the same |
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Feedback on assessment
Marking is via Tabula system and students receive written, electronic feedback through the system.
Courses
This module is Core optional for:
- Year 3 of ULAA-ML33 Undergraduate Law and Sociology
This module is Optional for:
- Year 2 of USOA-L301 BA in Sociology
- Year 2 of USOA-L314 Undergraduate Sociology and Criminology
This module is Option list A for:
-
ULAA-ML34 BA in Law and Sociology (Qualifying Degree)
- Year 3 of ML34 Law and Sociology (Qualifying Degree)
- Year 4 of ML34 Law and Sociology (Qualifying Degree)
- Year 5 of ULAA-ML35 BA in Law and Sociology (Qualifying Degree) (with Intercalated year)
- Year 4 of ULAA-ML33 Undergraduate Law and Sociology
This module is Option list B for:
- Year 2 of UHIA-VL15 Undergraduate History and Sociology (with a term in Venice)
- Year 2 of UPOA-ML13 Undergraduate Politics and Sociology
This module is Option list D for:
- Year 2 of UHIA-VL13 Undergraduate History and Sociology
- Year 2 of UHIA-VL15 Undergraduate History and Sociology (with a term in Venice)