Gender, Sexuality and the City (U00376)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 10 ? Acronym : GEO-3-GENDER

The course examines constructions of gender and sexuality in western, urban societies. It explores the assumptions about gender and sexuality implicit in the physical fabric and the layout of urban environments, showing how class-specific gender ideologies are expressed in urban landscapes. The consequences for women's and men's experiences of urban space are examined, and attention is drawn to the importance of differences within as well as between gender categories. Differences associated with class, race, age, embodiment and sexual orientation are considered in this context. The course considers ways in which particular groups are constrained or disadvantaged by urban life, and the ways in which the city offers scope for redefining and diversifying understandings of gender and sexuality. Students are expected to examine issues discussed in the literature on gender, sexuality and the city in the context of Edinburgh, drawing on their own experiences of urban life together with group field projects conducted during the course.

Entry Requirements

? Special Arrangements for Entry : Requests for registration must be made by email to Shiela.Wilson@ed.ac.uk
Availability to Visiting Undergraduates may be dependent on demand from internal students.

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Geography, (School of GeoSciences, Schedule N)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 3rd year

? Delivery Period : Not being delivered

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 10 weeks

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

- To provide a grounding in the field of gender, sexuality and the city;
- to problematise taken-for-granted features of urban life;
- to provide an appreciation of the diverse approaches to studying gender, sexuality and the city;
- to enhance understanding of the operation of inter-related conceptual dichotomies including male/female, femininity/masculinity, city/country, urban/rural, public/private, home/work, sex/gender;
- to provide an appreciation of the relationship between gender and other dimensions of inequality in late twentieth century urban societies;
- to provide an appreciation of the complex and varied experiences of urban living in western societies;
- to offer opportunities to enhance a wide range of study skills.

Assessment Information

Class: One review paper (1,000 words); One short essay (2,000 words); Oral contribution.

Degree: One two-hour examination (2 questions) AND One 2,000 word essay