Sex, Gender and Desire

Module overview

Fuelled by the sexual revolution, the women’s movement and gay activism, the late twentieth century saw a flourishing of critical interest in questions of sex, gender and desire and their relation to literature and culture. This module will develop your understanding of feminist critical approaches as well as introducing you to psychoanalytic and queer criticism. By reading a selection of critical writings alongside literary texts, you will explore questions such as: How do the stories we tell shape our understanding of gender roles? From whose perspective are these stories told and what do they exclude or repress? How have writers reinvented these stories? What is the relationship between gender and the acts of reading and writing? What is role of reading and writing in processes of social change? And how are representations of gender inflected by age, class, sexual orientation and ethnicity? All students will have some opinions on what it means to be a ‘woman’ or a ‘man’. This module will encourage you to examine these opinions in the light of contemporary thinking about gender and sexuality and via the study of a range of thought-provoking and sometimes troubling texts.

Aims and Objectives

Learning Outcomes

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

Define, present and exemplify concepts.
Analyse and discuss questions.
Identify concepts and data relevant to the task in hand, use a variety of theoretical tools to interpret cultural texts.
Apply knowledge, understanding and analysis critically to different topics
Engage with subject matter and opinion in both breadth and depth.

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

Take notes and keeping records.
Produce writing in appropriate genres and to required conventions, including referencing and identification.
Adhere to guidelines and deadlines
Make use of libraries, archives, and online resources to access relevant information.
Plan and organise your learning through self-management.

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

The cultural inscription of gender in the French context and beyond, the similarities and dissimilarities with your own culture and society.
The cultural, political and societal contexts in which literary texts were written in either France or other countries.
Reflection on literary criticism and writing that might include feminist, psychoanalytic and queer thought.

Learning and Teaching

Teaching and learning methods

Teaching methods include - twice-weekly seminars (with occasional lectures). - an extensive bibliography and course-packs will be provided, and you will be expected to undertake a programme of independent reading. - one-to-one consultations with the tutor (in person or by email) for students wishing to discuss their progress or to raise specific issues. Learning activities include - preparation of seminar presentations, individually or in pairs - class discussion - independent study - essay writing

Study time
Type	Hours
Lecture	12
Preparation for scheduled sessions	96
Seminar	18
Follow-up work	24
Total study time	150

Resources & Reading list

Internet Resources

For resources which are required or considered useful for the module.

Journal Articles

Sigmund Freud (2002). Femininity. Freud on Women, pp. 342-362.

Textbooks

Bordo, Susan (1995). Unbearable Weight: Feminism, Western Culture and the Body. University of California Press.

Marcel Proust. Sodome et Gomorrhe, volume 1 (first chapter only). GF-Flammarion.

Simone de Beauvoir. ‘Mythes: Chapitre Premier’ in Le Deuxième Sexe I.

Celestin, Roger et al. (eds) (2003). Beyond French Feminisms: Debates on Women, Politics and Culture in France, 1981-2001. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Annie Ernaux (1987). La Femme gelée. Gallimard.

Cooper, Sarah (2000). Relating to Queer Theory: Rereading Sexual Self-Definition with Irigaray, Kristeva, Wittig and Cixous. Peter Lang.

Butler, Judith (2006). Gender Trouble. Routledge.

Rachilde, Monsieur Vénus (2004). roman matérialiste. Modern Language Association.

Cameron, Deborah (1991). The Feminist Critique of Language: A Reader. London: Macmillan.

Émile Zola. La Curée. GF-Flammarion.

Assessment

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Breakdown
Method	Percentage contribution
Presentation	10%
Critical essay	50%
Commentary exercise	40%

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Breakdown
Method	Percentage contribution
Critical essay	50%
Commentary exercise	50%

Repeat

An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.

Breakdown
Method	Percentage contribution
Critical essay	50%
Oral presentation	10%
Commentary	40%

Repeat Information

Repeat type: Internal & External