Gender Studies

The minor Gender Studies offers you a critical perspective on social, cultural and power relations within contemporary society. We do so by providing essential gender studies concepts and methodologies as employed in the Humanities.

Summary

Number of EC

30 EC

Number of courses

4 compulsory courses

Start

Block 1, 2, 3 or 4

Coordinator

Dr. Laura Candidatu

Course overview

Gender Studies

Minor code

GEN-MINOR-14

Entry requirements

none

Associated MA-programmes
Registration

Start block 1 or 2: register between 30 May and 13 June 202 12.00
Start block 3 or 4: register between 31 October and 14 November 2022 12.00

Make sure to register for the minor as well as all its courses

“I think of feminism as poetry; we hear histories in words; we reassemble histories by putting them into words.”
Sara Ahmed, Living a Feminist Life (2017)

Come and join one of the largest gender studies groups in Europe!

Content

Gender studies, a contemporary interdisciplinary field that draws and expands on feminist theory, critically examines ways in which gender, ethnicity/race, sexuality, religion, ability, and class intersect and are constructed within cultural artefacts, political discourse, popular culture, art, literature and digital media. This important minor offers the chance to learn about historical and contemporary feminist movements and about the forces both gender and ethnicity/race currently exert in society.

The minor Gender Studies is also a 'kernpakket' for students TCS and LAS.

Goal

The minor aims to:

  • familiarize you with traditions of modern feminist thought and point out issues that are central to feminist theory;
  • train you to practice a new, critical way of looking at cultural practices that contest and reconstruct new and old representations and cultural formations;
  • provide you with a map of contemporary feminist approaches to issues of gender, sexuality, ethnicity/race and religious practices;
  • teach you to mobilize gender and intersectionality as key concepts while looking at various cultural practices in the visual and technological field: film, photography, the Internet, mass media, art, as well as social performances of memory, citizenship and nationalism.

Knowledge and theoretical skills gained will equip you with valuable tools for future professions in – for example, yet not limited to – education, campaigning and activism, journalism, NGO’s, policy-making, and the creative & cultural sectors.

Curriculum

The minor Gender Studies consists of 4 compulsory courses (30 EC). The courses include lectures, seminars readings, film and documentary screenings, museum visits, individual and group presentations and assignments include essays and book reviews. The courses aim to be interactive and you are encouraged to raise questions, promote debate, offer criticisms and contribute to the course contents.

Preference to start in period 1, but it is possible to start in any period.

Students in Media and Culture

If you would like to receive further training in this field, you can follow the Gender and postcolonial studies research seminar and thesis courses: 'Onderzoeksseminar Gender en Postcolonial Studies VR3V16001' + 'Eindwerkstuk Gender & Postcolonial VR3V16002' instead of 'Onderzoeksseminar Media en Cultuur MC3V14001/Research Seminar Media and Culture MC3V20001' + 'Eindwerkstuk Media en Cultuur ME3V15026/Bachelor Thesis Media and Culture ME3V20001'.

Preparation

You can prepare for this minor by following one of the following courses

  • Introduction to Gender Studies (VR2V14002)
  • Gender, etniciteit en cultuurkritiek (MC2V18001)
  • Gender, Ethnicity and Cultural Critique (MC2V19001).

This is recommended, not obligatory.

Application and registration

How to register for this minor and its course modules, depends on whether you are a student of Utrecht University or not.

More information

If you wish to know more, or have questions about this minor, please contact the Student Desk Humanities.