Download Gender and sexuality across culture

Gender and sexuality
across culture
19 January-23 March
Learning outcomes
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Discuss and compare notions and practices of sex, gender and sexuality crossculturally.
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Describe how the concepts of sex, gender and sexuality have been developed
and defined within anthropology.
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Illustrate anthropological theories of gender and sexuality with ethnographic
examples.
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Critically explore Western notions of gender and sexuality.
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Situate notions of gender and sexuality within broader processes of identity
formation on, for example, national and trans-national levels.
Introduction – concepts (2 weeks)
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What do sex, gender and sexuality mean and how have anthropologist dealt with these
concepts?
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What is the relationship between sexualities and genders?
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How are other differences such as class, race, geography and post-colonial relations
addressed in anthropological studies of sex, genders and sexualities?
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Intersection between the study of sex, genders and sexualities with traditional
anthropological concerns about kinship.
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How the nature/culture divide as past of Western folk model, has informed
anthropological analysis of kinship, sex, genders and sexualities.
Theme 1: Gender, sexuality and agency
(3 weeks)
• Performativity- and queer theory
• Theories of agency and embodiment
Monographs:
Boellstorff, Tom. 2006. The Gay Archipelago: Sexuality and Nation in Indonesia.
Rofel, Lisa. 2007. Desiring China: Experiments in Neoliberalism, Sexuality, and Public Culture.
Frisk, Sylva. 2009. Submitting to God: Women and Islam in Urban Malaysia.
Theme 2: Gender and globalization
(3 weeks)
• Gender, religion, and globalization
• Masculinities and globalization
Monographs:
Malmstr , Maria. 2009. Just like couscous: gender, agency and the politics of female circumcision in
Cairo.
Wekker, Gloria. 2006. The Politics of Passion: Women's Sexual Culture in the Afro- Surinamese Diaspora.
Goldstein, Donna. 2003. Laughter Out of Place. Race, Class, Violence, and Sexuality in a Rio
Shantytown.
Teaching
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One lecture per week – placing research on the different themes theoretically
and historically within the anthropology of gender and sexuality.
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One seminar per week
The comparative approach will be dealt with through empirical material when
reading ethnographies. Some of the ethnographies will be mandatory readings
and others will be individually chosen.
Examination
Individual examination consists of three parts:
•
Individually examination consists of oral presentation of two monographs at
two different occasions (Friday seminars).
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Active participation in seminars (oral).
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A take home exam, which will run during the course and consist of the writing
of a research proposal.