Social sciences and gender: critical reading of texts

Teacher(s)

Jacquot Sophie;

Language

French

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :

For several decades, gender has become an essential analytical tool in the human and social sciences. It is also at the origin of the development of a field of knowledge in its own right. This seminar aims to present and discuss classic works on gender, as well as to explore some of the important contemporary works in gender studies. The seminar is also part of the teaching programme of the Jean Monnet EUGENDERING Chair which focuses on the challenges of gender equality and diversity in the European Union. European issues will therefore constitute a common thread, explored through the readings. The objectives of this seminar are of four types. It aims to enable students to develop: their knowledge of fundamental texts on gender in the social sciences; their ability to approach a social science text with critical distance; their skills in oral presentation, debate and argument; and their skills in written analysis using the scientific method.

Content

The seminar programme is divided into three parts.
The first part will review the history of the concept of gender, reflect on the terminological uses of the concept and discuss some main notions within the field of gender studies.
The second part is built around specific research objects, which allows to grasp the specific contribution of gender in the analysis of these objects and thus to cross theoretical reflection and empirical applications. The common thread chosen for this second part is the relationship between gender and what is political. This theme will enable us to explore the questioning of the multiple dimensions linked to the notion of what is political by taking into account a gender approach: polity, politics, public policies, as well as the different scales of the political.
The first two parts of the seminar will systematically draw on multiple disciplinary perspectives in order to allow students to immerse themselves in texts from different social sciences (sociology, political science, political economy...).
The third part of the seminar consists of a session devoted to a debate with an academic specialising in gender studies. This meeting will be centred on the discussion of a specific text that the students will have read in advance.

Teaching methods

This seminar is based on the critical analysis of scientific texts, and therefore requires students to invest time and effort both before (reading the compulsory texts) and during (active participation) the sessions. Each week, a list of questions on the compulsory readings of the session is distributed. The aim is to facilitate the structuring of the discussion (discussion in sub-groups and collective discussion) and to help the students to appropriate the texts.
Oral presentations of the texts by groups are also planned.

Evaluation methods

- Presentation of a text (compulsory or supplementary reading), moderation of the discussion and synthesis of the main ideas to be retained: 30%.
- Synthesis of a research seminar: 10%
- Final work (review paper or critical reading): 60%.

Bibliography

Références générales et manuels
- Bereni Laure, Chauvin Sébastien, Jaunait Alexandre, Revillard Anne, Introduction aux Gender Studies. Manuel des études sur le genre, Bruxelles, de Boeck, 2020.
- Lépinard Éléonore, Lieber Marylène, Les théories en études du genre, Paris, La Découverte, 2020.
- Marchbank Jennifer, Letherby Gayle, Introduction to Gender. Social Sciences Perspectives, London, Routledge, 2014.

Teaching materials

• Textes obligatoires

Faculty or entity

ESPB