SGS-530G Theoretical Perspectives on Sexuality and Gender

Course Overview

In this interdisciplinary course, students will be introduced to key theories and theoretical frameworks for Sexuality and Gender Theory including queer theory and feminist theory. These theories are themselves already quite interdisciplinary, so students will spend time learning how these theories can work across different disciplines and can be used for both practical and academic purposes. Students will learn how to apply theoretical concepts to: the history of sexuality and gender, terminology that helps describe experiences and oppression including heterosexism, homophobia, and transphobia, queer activism, diverse experiences of sexuality and gender, and representations in literature, art, and popular media. We will also take an intersectional lens for our discussion and will discuss how sexual identities intersect with and shape other categories of identity, including gender, race, ethnicity, class, ability status, culture, and nationality.