Module Information
Course Delivery
| Delivery Type | Delivery length / details |
|---|---|
| Lecture | 18 Hours (18 x 1 hour) |
| Seminars / Tutorials | 9 Hours (9 x 1 hour) |
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | 1 x 3,000 word essay | 50% |
| Semester Assessment | 2 Hours (1 x 2 hour exam) | 40% |
| Semester Assessment | Seminar Performance | 10% |
| Supplementary Assessment | 1 x 1,000 word assignment in lieu of seminar participation | 10% |
| Supplementary Assessment | 1 x 3,000 word essay | 50% |
| Supplementary Exam | 2 Hours (1 x 2 hour exam) | 40% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
1. Critically assess the interconnections between gender, sexuality and race in Latin America
2. Evaluate the distinctive perspectives which a study of gender, race and sexuality bring to thinking about politics.
3. Demonstrate a critical understanding of marianismo, machismo and mestizaje.
4. Evaluate the way in which colonialism configured relations of power through gender relationships.
5. Critically assess the gendered and raced dynamics of power as played out in sex tourism
6. Analyse the way that gender stereotypes configure the world of work and its social repercussions.
7. Analyse how ideas about gender, race and sexuality shape high-level politics
8. Critically evaluate recent trends in legislation on women's rights
9. Demonstrate a critical understanding of the gay rights movement in the Latin American social world.
Brief description
This module explores dynamics of gender and sexuality in Latin America, paying particular attention to the often invisiblized but powerful dimensions of race. It begins by outlining the theoretical and historical context which condition gender dynamics and turns to explore key issues which shape contemporary politics: sex tourism; the world of work; gendered violence; gender/sex and high-powered politics; advances and retreats in women’s rights; sexual politics and homosexuality. The module will draw on examples from across the region and students will be encouraged to explore their own interests when researching and writing assessments.
Content
Lecture 2: Key motifs in the study of Latin America
Lecture 3: Gender’s focus: family, home, everyday relationships
Lecture 4: Gender’s focus: sexuality
Lecture 5: Thinking about gender roles: marianismo and machismo
Lecture 6: Thinking about hybridity: sex, ‘purity’ and mestizaje
Lecture 7: Colonialism: indigenous experiences
Lecture 8: Colonialism: slave experiences
Lecture 9: Sex Tourism for (Western) men
Lecture 10: Sex Tourism for (Western) women
Lecture 11: Gender roles and the workforce
Lecture 12: Tensions and trends – the case of Mexico
Lecture 11: Macho politics
Lecture 12: Women presidents (Chile and Argentina)
Lecture 13: Legislating women’s lives – advances and retreats
Lecture 14: Legislating sexuality – gay rights
Lecture 17: Conclusion – beyond gender stereotypes
Lecture 18: Revision session.
Aims
The module aims to explore dynamics of gender and power, focusing on experiences and events in Latin America. As such, it aims to expand the common view that gender is an add-on to the study of politics and society by placing gender, sex and race at the centre of analysis, and exposing the work of these elements in configuring the social world. It thus aims to enrich student’s concept of what constitutes politics, deepening and complicating their understanding of power and how it works.
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Application of Number | N/A |
| Communication | Students will learn how to present their ideas both verbally and in writing and how to how to present their arguments most effectively. The assesed semainrs will encourage the development of speaking skills, while the esasy and exam will develop written communication skills. They will learn the importance of information and clear communication and how to exploit these. They will consider how to use the many sources of information available and how to use the most appropriate form of communication to best advantage. They will learn to be clear in their writing and speaking and to be direct about aims and objectives. They will learn to consider only that which is relevant to the topic, focus and objectives of their argument or discussion. Students will also be required to submit their essay in word-processed format and the presentation of work should reflect effective expression of ideas and good use of language skills in order to ensure clarity, coherence and effective communication. |
| Improving own Learning and Performance | The module aims to promote self-management but within a context in which support and assistance is available from both the convenor and fellow students alike. Students will be expected to improve their own learning and performance by undertaking their own research and exercising their own initiative, including searching for sources and deciding (under guidance) the direction of their coursework and presentation topics. The need to prepare for assessed seminar participation and to meet coursework deadlines will focus students’ attention on the need to manage their time. |
| Information Technology | Students will be expected to submit their work in word-processed format and to use online sources appropriately when researching. |
| Personal Development and Career planning | This module is designed to hone and test skills of use to students in their working lives, particularly in speaking to small groups, listening, thinking and responding to the statement of others. Moreover, the written work includes writing clearly and concisely, which is a common task in the workplace. Students will be encouraged throughout to reflect on their performance and to consider lessons for future application. |
| Problem solving | Independent work and problem solving will be one central goal of the module; the submission of the essay on a subject of the student's own choosing will require that students develop independent research skills as well as problem solving skills. The ability of students to solve problems will be developed and assessed by asking them to: adopt differing points of view; organize data and estimate an answer to the problem; reason logically; construct theoretical models; consider similar cases; look for patterns; divide issues into smaller problems. The exam will similarly test a student’s ability to work under time constraints but create a coherent response to a question. |
| Research skills | Students will be required to undertake independent research when working on the essay. This will involve utilizing media and web sources, as well as more conventional academic texts. Students will in part be assessed on their ability to gather appropriate and interesting resources materials. |
| Subject Specific Skills | |
| Team work | Students will undertake team exercises in the seminars, as well as engaging in individualised debate. For many of the topics of this module, seminars will consist of small-group discussions where students will be asked to discuss as a group the core issues related to the seminar topic. These class discussions and debates form a significant part of the module and are assessed, and will allow students to approach and examine a given topic through team work. |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 6