Overview

This unit explores sociological and cross-cultural perspectives on gender and sexuality. In particular, it emphasises how the contexts of globalisation and colonialism influence the social, cultural, economic and political dimensions of gender and sexuality. It explores how sex, gender and sexuality are expressed and understood similarly and differently in various cultural settings and the influence of this on people’s lives and social justice outcomes.

Requisites

Prerequisites

50 credit points of level 2 units

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 1
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
03-March-2025
01-June-2025
Last self-enrolment date
16-March-2025
Census date
31-March-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
24-April-2025
Results released date
08-July-2025

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Engage in debates about gender and sexuality utilising scholarly, sociological accounts of the relationship between sex, gender and sexuality in cross-cultural and global perspective
  • Analyse the social and institutional aspects of global gender and sexuality problems and solutions
  • Demonstrate familiarity with the contemporary social justice issues around gender and sex in the global north and south
  • Communicate advanced sociological ideas and knowledge to specialist and non-specialist audiences in written and spoken form
  • Examine the relevance of gender and sexuality to international development outcomes
  • Work effectively in a group to analyse a report

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
On-campus
Lecture		1.00 12 weeks 12
On-campus
Class		2.00 12 weeks 24
Online
Learning activities		4.00 11 weeks 44
Unspecified Activities
Independent Learning		5.83 12 weeks 70
TOTAL150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
EssayIndividual 35% 1,4 
QuizIndividual 10% 3 
Report and PresentationIndividual/Group 55% 1,2,4,5,6 
EssayIndividual 35% 1,4 
QuizIndividual 10% 3 
Report and PresentationIndividual/Group 55% 1,2,4,5,6 

Content

  • Sex, gender and sexuality: basic concepts
  • Gender and sexual diversity
  • Understanding gender and sexualities in cross-cultural perspective
  • Gender, sexuality and human rights
  • Gender and development
  • Sex work
  • Sexual and gender based violence

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.