Syllabus: the Social Construction of Gender

Abstract

This course examines from multiple perspectives the social construction of gender. We will deconstruct the notion that gender is a biologically binary system, while analyzing the ways that social institutions create the terms and forms of gendered experiences. We will use cross-cultural, historical, and contemporary information to assess conflicting...

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Details

Subject Area(s):

Sex and Gender

Resource Type(s):

Syllabus

Class Level(s):

College 400

Class Size(s):

Small

Usage Notes

I've taught this class only with upper-level undergraduates, but I've found that they are capable of understanding both Foucault's Herculine Barbin and Butler's Gender Trouble if there is enough discussion. I think it would be difficult to use this material in a class that is too large for close discussion.

Learning Goals and Assessments

Learning Goal(s):

1. Students completing the course will be able to build an intellectual framework to deconstruct the idea of gender, using cross cultural and historical examples
2. Students completing the course will be able to understand and be able to compare critically different theories of gender and gender socialization
3. Students completing the course will be able to critically analyze prominent social institutions that create and reinforce gendered behavior

Goal Assessment(s):

1. Satisfactory completion of reading analysis and small group presentations to the class
2. Satisfactory completion of in-class reaction papers on class readings and discussions
3. Satisfactory completion of a large final portfolio project analyzing the social construction of gender within the context a chosen social institution.