DOCSLIB.ORG

Queer! Narratives of Gendered Sexuality: a Journey in Identity

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Queer! Narratives of Gendered Sexuality: a Journey in Identity Portland State University PDXScholar Dissertations and Theses Dissertations and Theses Spring 6-20-2013 Queer! Narratives of Gendered Sexuality: A Journey in Identity Kym Bradley Portland State University Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds Part of the Gender and Sexuality Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Bradley, Kym, "Queer! Narratives of Gendered Sexuality: A Journey in Identity" (2013). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 1069. https://doi.org/10.15760/etd.1069 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. Please contact us if we can make this document more accessible: [email protected]. Queer! Narratives of Gendered Sexuality: A Journey in Identity by Kym Bradley A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Sociology Thesis Committee: Randy Blazak, Chair Peter Collier Lindsey Wilkinson Portland State University 2013 © 2013 Kym Bradley Abstract My project looks at current conceptualizations of identity relating to gender and sexuality in order to understand how queer individuals enact gender as connected to their non-normative sexuality. I will use the notion of "desire" through Butler's (1990) notion of performativity as a part of iterability that reproduces an opposition between what is intended and how it is perceived. This approach creates space to problematize the status of identities that posits the conception of fluidity and dialectic as attached to notions of gendered sexualities - the understanding that sexuality interacts with gender and that these two notions are not compartmentalized. The construction of these systems of categorization allows for an assumption of the role of sexuality as connected to gender that can then be read through discursive practices and performances. This research is placed within a post-structuralist and queer theory discussion that is used to understand identity as separate from an isolated core self and is rather comprehended through a particular connection of gender, sex, desire, and performance. By entering into a queer theory and post-structuralist discussion, this project aims to highlight ways in which gender and sex are not necessarily "intelligible" - in which one's gender enactment follows their sex, which then leads them to be attracted to the "opposite" sex/gender - and by doing so I will be able to understand how non- heterosexuals understand their own sexualized gender. The categories of gender and desire are not mutually exclusive nor are they dichotomous. According to Butler (1990), the heterosexual matrix addresses the power structures associated with hegemonic modes i of discourse and thought; therefore, my project embraces this approach to gender and sexuality and how these understandings create a unique performance of repetition that further constructs an identity. This study specializes in the reformulation and re-articulation of a distinct consciousness of compounded identities that are comprised of a sexualized gender involving the performative interplay of sexuality on gender for queer individuals. In addition, this project seeks to understand how queer individuals form, understand, perform, and enact their evolving gender identity as connected to their sexuality. Specifically my research asks: 1) How do queer individuals narrate the construction of their particular identities? 2) How do queer individuals enact their gender as connected to sexuality? and 3) How do queer individuals describe their identities as marginalized? In order to answer these questions I conducted 20 interviews with queer individuals in Portland, OR aged 18-35 in order to get a broad range of life experiences. The use of one-on-one interviews allowed me to get at the interpretative perspective of the participant such that they can clarify the connections and relationships they see between their own sexualized gender enactment and the world around them. This also allowed access to acquire information about the social interplay of gender, sex, and desire and how these individuals may or may not place importance on their queer identity and the processes involved. ii Dedication To all those who have faced stigma and marginalization and were brave enough to stand up for their beliefs and for themselves. I also dedicate this work to those who were kind enough to open their souls and histories for me to be able to conduct this research. Additionally I dedicate this thesis to those who enabled me to be the strong, motivated and passionate person I am today, thank you! iii Acknowledgement I thank the members of my thesis committee Dr. Randy Blazak, Dr. Lindsey Wilkinson, and Dr. Peter Collier for their participation within this project and their helpful yet critical feedback throughout the process. I specifically thank Randy, my advisor, for slaving over the pages of my writing and his willingness to dig into a familiar yet new subject area and for dedicating his time and his generosity throughout the past year working on this project together. Additionally, I would like to send my gratitude to Dr. José Padin who pushed me to re-evaluate my thought processes, and though he was not intimately involved in this project, he gave me suggestions and support. I know the project would not have been the same without him. I was lucky to have him as the theory professor who not only piqued my interest in the transformative power of education but also taught me humility. I thank my friends in the department, and those outside of academia, who listened to me process through the writing and providing regular support and feedback and spent hours being that second, or third, or fourth pair of eyes looking over my work. Especially April, Patrick, Jeff and Daniel, they encouraged me to recognize my own strengths and abilities and picked me up on those hard days. Mostly importantly, I give my undying thanks to my partner, Jenn Becker, who has been by my side through this whole project and has been the de facto research assistant and transcriptionist extraordinaire. She has encouraged me through the hard times, celebrated in the high times and is willing to stay by my side as I continue in my journey in academia. I could not ask for a better partner! iv Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................... i Dedication ......................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgement ............................................................................................................. iv Chapter One: Introduction ............................................................................................... 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1 Post-Gay/Post-Closet Discourse ................................................................................... 4 Importance of Linguistics and Discourse .................................................................... 7 Statement of the Problem ........................................................................................... 10 Research Questions ..................................................................................................... 10 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 12 Chapter Two: Literature Review ................................................................................... 13 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 13 Linear Constructivist Models and Identity Theories ............................................... 13 Gender as a Concept ................................................................................................... 21 Gender and Patriarchy ............................................................................................... 23 Hegemonic Masculinity and Emphasized Femininity .............................................. 26 Doing/Being Gender(ed) ............................................................................................. 26 Beyond Gender into Performativity .......................................................................... 29 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 44 Chapter Three: Methodology ......................................................................................... 46 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 46 Research Design ........................................................................................................... 46 Setting ........................................................................................................................... 46 Participants .................................................................................................................. 47 Interview Background ................................................................................................. 50 Data Collection and Instruments ..............................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • 297489300-Oa
    Research Report What affective processes in school impede and support students to choose and sustain a (STEM) trajectory of study? 2020 Research Report of Phase 1: Student Survey Blue-Sky Science School (BSS)* conducted 2017 Author: Dr Melissa Joy Wolfe Email: [email protected] Faculty of Education, Monash University DET Ethics approval: 2017_003349 MUHREC ethics approval: Project Number: 8363 Funding: Monash University, Faculty of Education Dean’s ECR Project Award 2017 Monash University | Faculty of Education Project: ‘What affective processes in school impede and support students to choose and sustain a (STEM) trajectory of study?’ (Phase 1 Report: Survey) 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................. 3 1.2 Aims and background: .................................................................................................................... 3 1.2 Method ........................................................................................................................................... 5 1.3 Introduction (Situated Research) .................................................................................................... 6 1.4 Methodology (Survey) .................................................................................................................... 6 2. DEMOGRAPHIC (SELF-REPORTED) ....................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • 2019-03-16 5C8d88baaba5e Oren-Gozlan-Current-Critical-Debates-In-The-Field-Of
    CURRENT CRITICAL DEBATES IN THE FIELD OF TRANSSEXUAL STUDIES Current Critical Debates in the Field of Transsexual Studies introduces new thinking on non-conforming gender representation, addressing transsexuality as a subjective experience that highlights universal dilemmas related to how we conceive identity and exploring universal questions related to gender: its objects, objections, and obstacles. This book seeks to disassemble prejudicial orientations to the challenges and the everydayness of transsexuality and build new understanding and responses to issues including: medical biases, the problem of authenticity, and the agency of the child. Oren Gozlen leads an examination of three central pressures: transformation of a medical model, the social experience of becoming transgender, and the ques- tion of self-representation through popular culture. The chapters reframe several contemporary dilemmas, such as: authenticity, pathology, normativity, creativity, the place of the clinic as a problem of authority, the unpredictability of sexual- ity, the struggle with limits of knowledge, a demand for intelligibility, and desire for certainty. The contributors consider sociocultural, theoretical, therapeutic, and legal approaches to transsexuality that reveal its inherent instability and fluidity both as concept and as experience. They place transsexuality in tension and transition as a concept, as a subject position, and as a subjectivity. The book also reflects the way in which political and cultural change affects self and other representations of the transsexual person and their others, asking: how does the subject metabolize the anxieties that relate to these transformations and facilitations? How can the subject respond in contexts of hostility and prohibition? Offering a much-needed interdisciplinary exploration, Current Critical Debates in the Field of Transsexual Studies will appeal to psychoanalysts and psychotherapists as well as psychologists and scholars of gender studies, cultural studies and sociology.
    [Show full text]
  • The Development of Transgender Studies in Sociology
    SO43CH20-Schilt ARI 20 July 2017 11:19 Annual Review of Sociology The Development of Transgender Studies in Sociology Kristen Schilt and Danya Lagos Department of Sociology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637; email: [email protected], [email protected] Annu. Rev. Sociol. 2017. 43:425–43 Keywords The Annual Review of Sociology is online at gender binary, gender identity, LGBTQ, queer theory, sex and gender, soc.annualreviews.org sexualities https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-soc-060116- 053348 Abstract Annu. Rev. Sociol. 2017.43:425-443. Downloaded from www.annualreviews.org Copyright c 2017 by Annual Reviews. ⃝ The field of transgender studies has grown exponentially in sociology over All rights reserved the last decade. In this review, we track the development of this field through a critical overview of the sociological scholarship from the last 50 years. We identify two major paradigms that have characterized this research: a focus Access provided by City University of New York - The Graduate Center on 04/29/18. For personal use only. ANNUAL on gender deviance (1960s–1990s) and a focus on gender difference (1990s– REVIEWS Further present). We then examine three major areas of study that represent the Click here to view this article's online features: current state of the field: research that explores the diversity of transgender people’s identities and social locations, research that examines transgen- der people’s experiences within institutional and organizational contexts, and research that presents quantitative approaches to transgender people’s identities and experiences. We conclude with an agenda for future areas of inquiry. 425 SO43CH20-Schilt ARI 20 July 2017 11:19 INTRODUCTION Within the sociology of gender and sexualities, feminist and queer scholars have initiated influential critiques of the ways in which dominant paradigms in the discipline center the experiences of men and heterosexuals as a norm by which to evaluate the significance and meaning of the lives of women and LGBQ people (Gamson & Moon 2004, Seidman 1996, Smith 1987).
    [Show full text]
  • Foreclosing Fluidity at the Intersection of Gender and Sexual Normativities
    1 Foreclosing Fluidity at the Intersection of Gender and Sexual Normativities J. E. Sumerau University of Tampa Lain A. B. Mathers Indiana State University Dawne Moon Marquette University Binary gender and sexuality are socially constructed, but they structure thought at such a deep level that even those critical of sexism and homophobia can unwittingly reproduce them, with consequences felt most profoundly by those whose gender/sexual identity defy binary logic. This article outlines a generic pattern in the reproduction of inequality we call foreclosing fluidity, the symbolic or material removal of fluid possibilities from sexual and gender experience and categorization. Based on 115 responses from people who are both sexually and gender fluid and a reading of existing sociologies of gender and sexualities from a fluid standpoint, we demonstrate how lesbian/gay/straight, cisgender, and transgender women and men—regardless of intentions—may foreclose fluidity by mobilizing cisnormative, transnormative, heteronormative, and/or homonormative beliefs and practices. Examining patterns of foreclosing fluidity may provide insight into (1) the further incorporation of fluid people and standpoints into symbolic interactionism, and (2) the reproduction and persistence of sexual and gender inequalities. Keywords: cisnormativity, transnormativity, heteronormativity, homonormativity, transgender, bisexual, fluidity, sexualities When it comes to gender and sexuality, U.S. society constructs the appearance of a strict man-woman dichotomy. Gender and sexualities scholarship has expanded dramatically in the past 50 years, with researchers exploring numerous ways peo- ple enact and maintain notions of cisgender and transgender (Connell 2010), les- bian/gay/straight (Pfeffer 2014) womanhood (Avishai 2008), and manhood (Schrock Direct all correspondence to Lain A.
    [Show full text]
  • Trans* Bodies Identities (Factor and Rothblum 2008)
    1382 Trans* bodies identities (Factor and Rothblum 2008). However, owing to the limitations of some of the technical AARON H. DEVOR aspects of physical gender transitions, very few University of Victoria, Canada trans* people are able to live the entirety of their lives without some disclosure of their trans* identi- Gender-variant people live all across the globe. In ties. This is especially true in sexually intimate some cultures they are well integrated and enjoy situations involving close physical contact with, or considerable social acceptance, whereas in others observation of, physical bodies. Thus, while the there is little or no tolerance for significant gender physical changes undertaken by trans* and gender- nonconformity (Peletz 2006). The word trans* queer people are usually most deeply motivated by comes from English-speaking Euro-American cul- their gender identity needs, in many instances the tures and has begun to spread into other cultures, expression of their own sexuality, and that of their where it increasingly competes with indigenous partners, will also be impacted by the bodily ways of understanding the correspondences alterations they undertake to bring their gender between genders and bodies (Towle and Morgan identities and bodies into better alignment. 2002). According to GATE—Global Action for Trans* Equality (2014), trans* can be defined as: Contexts: gender assumptions those people who have a gender identity which is in everyday life different to the gender assigned at birth and/or those people who feel they have to, prefer to, or When trans* and genderqueer people transform choose to—whether by clothing, accessories, cos- their physical bodies, they do so within the con- metics or body modification—present themselves text of assumptions made by most members of differently to the expectations of the gender role society about the meanings attached to physical assigned to them at birth.
    [Show full text]
  • Sociology of Gender Course Syllabus: Spring 2020 Mwf 1-1:50 Pm Ss 310
    SOC 312: SOCIOLOGY OF GENDER COURSE SYLLABUS: SPRING 2020 MWF 1-1:50 PM SS 310 INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION Instructor: Dr. Julia Meszaros, Assistant Professor Office Location: Ferguson Social Science Room SS230 Office Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays, 11:00PM to 1:00PM and by appointment and 3 to 4 PM Wednesdays ONLINE Office Fax: 903-886-5330 University Email Address: [email protected] Preferred Form of Communication: Email Communication Response Time: 24-48 Hours; Monday to Friday 9-5 COURSE INFORMATION Materials – Textbooks, Readings, Supplementary Readings 1. Not Gay: Sex between straight white men by Jane Ward (available on amazon and kindle) 2. Camming: Money, Power and Pleasure in the Sex Work Industry by Angela Jones (not yet available: we will discuss accessing it in class) Course Description This course will explore the social and cultural construction of gender differences, focusing on contemporary issues both in the United States and internationally. This course will provide an in- depth focus on sexuality, intersexuality, and transgendered people. The course provides a description of the sociological approach to the study of gender and explores how it differs from other perspectives. This course will examine the ways that boys/men and girls/women are socialized differently and will provide an in depth examination in gender differences in social institution including the family, mass media, education system, government and the workplace. Course Objectives and Student Learning Objectives 1. Apply sociological concepts to their daily lives and view themselves as engaged citizens within an interconnected and diverse world. This learning objective will be assessed in the 2.
    [Show full text]
  • The Sociology of Gender
    The Sociology of Gender Key Themes in Sociology This series introduces students to a particular topic in sociology in a concise format to provide a core text for a course, easily supplemented with addi- tional readings. Depending on the course content, these books cover major theoretical perspectives and key concepts, and contain illustrative material reflecting contemporary society. The authors have written with a sense of originality and to pose arguments, while maintaining an accessible and engaging writing style. They also include pedagogical features such as glossaries, further suggested reading, discussion questions and case studies. The series volumes do not oversimplify the material, yet contain the basic knowledge students need to work through primary readings and class discussion. Published: The Sociology of Gender: An Introduction to Theory and Research Amy S. Wharton Forthcoming: Citizenship Peter Kivisto and Thomas Faist Science and Technology in Society Daniel Kleinman The Sociology of Gender An Introduction to Theory and Research Amy S. Wharton © 2005 by Amy S. Wharton BLACKWELL PUBLISHING 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148-5020, USA 108 Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 1JF, UK 550 Swanston Street, Carlton, Victoria 3053, Australia The right of Amy S. Wharton to be identified as the Author of this Work has been asserted in accordance with the UK Copyright, Designs, and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except as permitted by the UK Copyright, Designs, and Patents Act 1988, without the prior permission of the publisher.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Sociology of Gender and Sexuality 920:571:01 Monday 1-3:40 Professor Arlene Stein —[email protected] Office Hours: M
    Sociology of Gender and Sexuality 920:571:01 Monday 1-3:40 Professor Arlene Stein —[email protected] Office hours: MW4-5 — 045 Davison Hall Gender encompasses bodies, subjectivities, social roles, kinship structures, sexualities, and more. The literature is now huge; this course is by no means a comprehensive survey of it. We will survey how sociologists have studied gender and sexuality, with a particular focus on psychoanalysis, feminism and queer theory. The contemporary study of gender and sexuality too often finds itself at an impasse, conceptualizing gender/sexuality either psychologically or sociologically. We’ll look at different approaches, and possible ways of integrating them. The course is divided into three parts. In the first part, we will gain an understanding of different theoretical traditions. In the second part, we’ll focus on sexuality and its relationship to gender. Finally, we’ll consider growing literatures on bodies, the biosocial, and transgender studies. Learning Goals: 1. To acquire a broad understanding of different theoretical and empirical approaches to understanding sex, gender and sexuality. 2. To critically analyze conceptual and empirical underpinnings of research on sex, gender, and sexuality. 3. To identify emerging debates and literatures in the study of sex, gender and sexuality. Course requirements: Class participation (20%). You must do all of the readings, come to class ready to discuss, ask questions, and engage the material in relevant and constructive ways. The success of the class depends upon the active participation of all students. Please be involved in class discussion every week. Be sure to read the memo distributed by the discussion leader sufficiently before class so that you are prepared to talk about the issues and questions posed in the memo.
    [Show full text]
  • Heterosexuality, Femininity, and Transwomen's Fear
    HETEROSEXUALITY, FEMININITY, AND TRANSWOMEN’S FEAR “Doing Fear.” The Influence of Hetero-femininity on (Trans)women’s Fears of Victimization Jill E. Yavorsky1 & Liana Sayer2 1University of North Carolina Charlotte 2University of Maryland The authors wish to thank the anonymous reviewers and editors, including special issue editor Dr. Nancy Fischer, for valuable comments and suggestions on this paper. 1 HETEROSEXUALITY, FEMININITY, AND TRANSWOMEN’S FEAR ABSTRACT Through 26 in-depth interviews with male-to-female transsexuals (transwomen), this study examines transwomen’s perceptions of safety, pre- and post-transition. The majority reported higher levels of fear and believed they would be unable to fight off an attacker post-transition even though most were large-statured and were socialized as males. Exposure to heterosexual practices and to cultural messages depicting women as physically weak and sexually vulnerable, and transwomen’s embodiment of hetero-femininity play a central role in increasing their fears. Their experiences as women are powerful enough to override decades of prior male experiences and expose the socially-constructed nature of fear and bodily agency. Keywords: transgender; heterosexuality; embodiment; gender and fear; transsexual; femininity 2 HETEROSEXUALITY, FEMININITY, AND TRANSWOMEN’S FEAR “Doing Fear.” The Influence of Hetero-femininity on (Trans)women’s Fears of Victimization Heterosexuality is an institution that regulates sexuality and gender by establishing borders and complementarities between men and women. As a system of power, heterosexuality privileges male desires and positions women as passive, willing recipients of male pleasure (Connell 2005; Kavanaugh 2013). Through social interactions and body work, women learn to regard their bodies as weak and vulnerable to victimization, while men learn that their bodies are powerful and protectors of women (Madriz 1997).
    [Show full text]
  • ORGASM IS GENDERED a Feminist Exploration Into the (Hetero) Sexual Lives of Young
    ORGASM IS GENDERED a feminist exploration into the (hetero) sexual lives of young women Lorenza Mazzoni ORGASM IS GENDERED a feminist exploration into the (hetero) sexual lives of young women Lorenza Mazzoni Supervisor Teresa Ortiz. Universidad de Granada Co-supervisor Rosemarie Buikema. Universiteit Utrecht Erasmus Mundus Master’s Degree in Women’s and Gender Studies Instituto de Estudios de la Mujer. Universidad de Granada. 2010/2011 ORGASM IS GENDERED a feminist exploration into the (hetero) sexual lives of young women Lorenza Mazzoni Supervisor Teresa Ortiz. Universidad de Granada Co-supervisor Rosemarie Buikema. Universiteit Utrecht Erasmus Mundus Master’s Degree in Women’s and Gender Studies Instituto de Estudios de la Mujer. Universidad de Granada. 2010/2011 Firma de aprobación………………………………………….. ABSTRACT Italian society is still facing an enormous “orgasm gap” in (hetero) sexual relations: according to a very recent survey (Barbagli and co., 2010) only a minority of women reach an orgasm in every sexual intercourse, in contrast with the vast majority of men; this is true even in the younger generations. I take the lack of orgasm as a starting point for studying how sexual behaviours are still under the reign of patriarchy, imposing male standards that privilege male pleasure at the expense of female. My research therefore aims to analyze from a feminist perspective the agency of young women in reaching an orgasm during a (hetero) sexual relation. Through the use of a “feminist objectivity” and a qualitative methodology I have conducted eight semi-structured in-depth interviews with young women in Bologna, Italy. In particular I have identified a series of widespread social discourse that prevent women from choosing orgasm, while causing them to live their sexuality with high doses of insecurity and inhibition.
    [Show full text]
  • Gendered Sexuality and Hook up Culture at Greek Social Events
    University of Mississippi eGrove Electronic Theses and Dissertations Graduate School 2011 Taking Parties Seriously: Gendered Sexuality and Hook Up Culture at Greek Social Events Brian Michael Knop Follow this and additional works at: https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd Part of the Sociology Commons Recommended Citation Knop, Brian Michael, "Taking Parties Seriously: Gendered Sexuality and Hook Up Culture at Greek Social Events" (2011). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 171. https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/171 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at eGrove. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of eGrove. For more information, please contact [email protected]. TAKING PARTIES SERIOUSLY: GENDERED SEXUALITY AND HOOK UP CULTURE AT GREEK SOCIAL EVENTS A Thesis Presented for the Master of Arts Degree Department of Sociology and Anthropology The University of Mississippi Brian Knop May 2011 Copyright 2011, Brian Knop ABSTRACT This thesis is a qualitative sociological analysis of gender and sexuality at Greek parties and in the broader Greek system in order to better understand hooking up and rape culture. While past work on rape culture has tended to look at fraternities as isolated organizations (Boswell and Spade 1996, Sanday 1990), this research takes into consideration that sororities and fraternities are constantly interacting within the Greek system and therefore must be analyzed together. I interviewed 14 sorority and fraternity members in order to uncover how Greek members interpret the behaviors, norms, and interactions at organized parties and in the broader Greek system. The sorority and fraternity members made distinctions between the types of parties that Greek organizations host.
    [Show full text]
  • Sociology and Anthropology of Gender Course Code: SOC5004 Course Group
    Sociology and Anthropology of Gender TITLE OF THE COURSE: Course code: SOC5004 Course group: C Faculty: Social Sciences Study program: Applied Sociology Master‘s Level: Autumn Semester: ECTS credits: 6 Language of instruction English Course lecturer/s: Prof. Artūras Tereškinas The course will explore the central historical and contemporary debates in the sociology and anthropology of gender, including the search for universal principles underlying the male dominance; relationship between gender, sex and sexuality; how gender articulates with other forms of difference such as race, class and nation; Short course description: gendered perspectives on power; the interaction of agency and structure in the production of femininities and masculinities; issues of cultural representation and expression; gender and body politics across a range of cultural, historical and institutional contexts; gender and the state and gendered modernities. 1. Introduction. Gender: definitions and contentions. Sex and gender. 2. Gender order. Gender studies and sociology of gender. 3. Feminism and feminist theory. Men’s studies. 4. Masculinity and masculinity politics. 5. Different forms of masculinity in contemporary societies. Masculinity and different social field. Social and Course content: cultural explorations of masculinity. 6. Gender and sexuality. Gender and desire. Sexual identity vs. sexual practices. Sexual subcultures 7. Male sexuality. 8. Intimacy and sexuality. New forms of intimacy. 9. Body and gender. Gender embodiments – male and female bodies in historical perspective 10. Transexuality and transgenderism. Transvestism. 11. Gender and bodily modifications. Plastic surgery. 12. Men and women in popular culture: representing genders. Grading and evaluating Mid-term exam – 20%; Independent study and participation in seminars – 15%; Homework – 15%, Final student work in class and/or exam – 50%.
    [Show full text]