An introduction to Women and Gender Studies

Aims of the course

This course aims to:
1. Introduce you to the basic concepts in Women’s and Gender Studies.
2. Encourage curiosity and the exercise of critical thinking in everyday life.
3. Sensitise you to the material consequences of one’s positioning in the complex power structures of society.

Content

This course is an introduction to the field of Women’s and Gender Studies. We will discuss key concepts in gender theory and examine how categories, such as masculinity” and “femininity” are socially constructed. We also consider how gender intersects with other aspects of identity and social categorisation, like race, class, nationality, ethnicity, age, and sexual orientation. Social categories are inherently context dependent – this course will help you understand how our ideas of what it means to be, for example, a man, a woman, or neither, changed over time and in different geographical and cultural contexts. The course is, therefore, an encouragement towards thinking about the social reality as something that depends on one’s position on the axes of advantage/disadvantage. Gender Studies is an interdisciplinary field and perspectives from history, geography, anthropology, sociology and media studies will be employed in the course.

Presentation of the course

The course will be taught interactively. We will have many opportunities for classroom discussions and will engage with multiple media, including videos, podcasts and texts. Participation in class conversations is strongly encouraged, with an understanding that individuals have different learning styles and may prefer not to speak up. All learners can expect to be treated with respect regardless of their backgrounds, gender identities, ethnicities or religious beliefs and other visible and nonvisible differences. We will aim to create an inclusive environment in which all learners feel valued. Disrespectful language or behaviour will not be tolerated.

Class sessions

1. Understanding diversity and difference
In this session, we will discuss examples of unequal social structures and the re-production of power relations. Even though diversity is a powerful catchphrase, it can mask a myriad of unequal power structures. Sociologists sometimes refer to “conflict diversity”: understanding that social groups exist in a hierarchy of inequality in terms of power, privilege, and wealth. This session will help you understand how the study of diversity evolved from studies of social stratification and multiculturalism to postmodern feminism and intersectionality.

2. The social construction of gender
Did you know, that the Bugis people of South Sulawesi recognise five genders? Yet, in our society the division into two genders dominates the way we raise children, educate them, socialise and work. A belief that there are real, biological differences between different categories of people (men/women, black/white, gay/straight) is called essentialism. This session will introduce another perspective, social constructivism, which highlights the historical, geographical, cultural, and other factors that shape our ideas about men and women.

3. Representing gender
From Disney cartoons to the Big Bang Theory – we will consider how gender is represented in the media. In particular, we will consider two strands of research: the work on stereotypes and the work on ideology. Research on stereotypes considers how women and men are portrayed in popular culture and how these representations are consumed. The research on ideology draws from the perspective of critical cultural studies and Marxism. We will examine one of its contentions, namely how the media is a powerful state apparatus that naturalises the division of gender roles.

4. Learning Gender
“Boys will be boys?”- This session will address the socialisation of children into gender roles. Socialisation refers to the learning of norms, values and behaviours acceptable in the society. This process does not end upon reaching maturity - we are socialised throughout our lives. However, the foundations of the process are grounded in childhood, as the main agents of socialisation are family, school and peer group. This session will examine how children internalise norms and gender roles as they interact with those agents. We will also investigate the competing explanations of this process: biological theory, social learning theory, cognitive development theory and grand schema theory.

5. Families
Social institutions –such as the state, education, religion, economy and family - are gendered. This session will help us understand how gendered family structures developed historically. As a case study we will look at the links between the social construction of the family and the social construction of nationhood. Nations are often configured and presented as “domestic genealogies” (McClintock 1993) – we talk about “national family”, “motherlands” and “fatherlands”. This session will consider the contemporary manifestations and implications of these gendered understandings.

6. Gender and work
At the University of Cambridge, men make 62% of highest earners (by pay quartile distribution). Women - 38%. Why is that? This section will introduce the historically gendered character of labour, starting with industrialisation, through the impact of WW on women’s position in the labour market, Fordism and post-Fordism. We will link the changes in the economy and labour market to the rise of the three waves of feminism.

7. Gendering bodies
Gender reveal parties are just one example of the persistence of ascribing gender to bodies. The ideas about what constitutes a “normal” body are socially constructed. However, as you will have learned from the previous sessions, even though gender is not “real”, i.e. it is socially constructed, it has significant material consequences. Our ideas about gender roles have real impact on our bodies, and vice versa. This session will consider embodiment in feminist theory, starting with Simone Beauvoir’s The Second Sex, through the radical feminism of Adrienne Rich, intersectional theorists, embodied phenomenology, feminist empiricism and the ethics of embodiment.

8. Gender based violence
Gendered based violence is violence directed against a person because of their gender. It affects both, women and men, but most victims are women. This session will consider why GBV merits special attention and how it is implicated in patriarchy and other systems of oppression. We will look at two case studies, published by UN Women in 2019, that provide examples of good practice in addressing GBV through intersectional approach.

9. The global politics of gender
Global markets result in global gender inequalities. From sweatshop workers, through economic migrants, to high-flying transnational executives, we will discuss how the international connectedness has affected individual experiences. Increasing women’s participation in the formal labour market in the western world has resulted in a global shortage of care. Drawing on the work of feminist scholars of migration, we will unpack concepts of the global chains of care and emotional labour.

10. Making change
This last session will be a call to action for a more inclusive, fair and caring society. There are many competing ideas about how change happen. Do we trust government intervention? Market forces? Activism? Social movement? What kind of collective action is going to be most effective? Intersectional feminism argues that rather than focusing on a single oppressed group (women, gay, Black, etc.) a radical, multi-category collective action will be most effective in bringing about change. We will discuss how examples of contemporary social movements, such us Extinction Rebellion, #MeToo, Black Lives Matter – and others – align with this idea.

Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:
1. Identify the gendered social structures in which you live.
2. Differentiate between biological and cultural explanation of sex differences.
3. Examine how people are socialised into culturally appropriate gendered roles and behaviours.
4. Use basic terms and concepts central to Women's and Gender Studies, including sex, gender, intersectionality, feminisms, patriarchy, and oppression.
5. Recognise how gender intersects with race, class, nationality, ethnicity, age, and sexual orientation.

Required reading

McIntosh, P. (2003). White privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack. In S. Plous (Ed.), Understanding prejudice and discrimination (pp. 191–196). McGraw-Hill.

Lorber, J. (2012) ‘Night to his Day’: The Social Construction of Gender. In V. Taylor, L.J. Rupp, N. Whittier (Ed.) Feminist Frontiers. McGraw-Hill.

Wendell, S. (1996).The social construction of disability. In S. Wendell, The Rejected Body (pp.58-65). Routledge.

Giesler, C (2018). Gender-reveal parties: performing community identity in pink and blue. Journal of Gender Studies 27(6). (pp. 665-668).

Yavorsky, J. E. Qian Y. Sargent A. C. (2021). The gendered pandemic: The implications of COVID‐19 for work and family. Sociology Compass 15(6). (pp. 1-13).

Connell, R. W. (2020). Gender as a structure of social practice. In Masculinities: Routledge (pp. 71-76).

Typical week: Monday to Friday

Courses run from Monday to Friday. For each week of study, you select a morning (Am) course and an afternoon (Pm) course. The maximum class size is 25 students. 

Courses are complemented by a series of daily plenary lectures, exploring new ideas in a wide range of disciplines. To add to the learning experience, we are also planning additional evening talks and events.

Evaluation and Academic Credit 

If you are seeking to enhance your own study experience, or earn academic credit from your Cambridge Summer Programme studies at your home institution, you can submit written work for assessment for one or more of your courses. 

Essay questions are set and assessed against the University of Cambridge standard by your Course Director, a list of essay questions can be found in the Course Materials. Essays are submitted two weeks after the end of each course, so those studying for multiple weeks need to plan their time accordingly. There is an evaluation fee of £75 per essay.

For more information about writing essays see Evaluation and Academic Credit.

Certificate of attendance

A certificate of attendance will be sent to you electronically after the programme.