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2022/2023

Cultural Studies with a Gender Perspective

Code: 105815 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2503878 Sociocultural Gender Studies OB 2 2

Contact

Name:
Irene Zurron Servera
Email:
irene.zurron@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
catalan (cat)
Some groups entirely in English:
No
Some groups entirely in Catalan:
Yes
Some groups entirely in Spanish:
No

Prerequisites

Students must have the necessary linguistic knowledge to be able to express themselves correctly both in writing and orally.

Objectives and Contextualisation

The subject aims to lead to the analysis of cultural productions based on the methodologies of cultural studies, especially in their confluence with gender studies. The aim is to reflect on the cultural system as a structure linked to power and ideology, while questioning the canon and the exclusions that make it up. There will be a special focus on the conflicting separation between centers and margins and the selection of various objects of study, from popular culture, cinema, television, literature, museums, video games, food, fashion or music, will be encouraged. With this, students must be able to theorize about culture from the interdisciplinary contributions of cultural studies with a gender perspective.

Competences

  • Demonstrate ability to work autonomously, self-analysis and self-criticism.
  • Express correctly and in a non-sexist or homophobic manner both orally and in writing.
  • Identify and question gender representations in the history of ideas, arts and culture, as well as in the construction of scientific knowledge. 
  • Interpreting and interrelating the conceptual bases of feminist theories. 
  • Students can apply the knowledge to their own work or vocation in a professional manner and have the powers generally demonstrated by preparing and defending arguments and solving problems within their area of study.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills in order to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Analyze the representations of sexualities in cultural productions.
  2. Apply the concepts of gender theory to the analysis of cultural texts.
  3. Distinguish the transformations of gender relations in the history of culture.
  4. Make an inclusive use of language.
  5. Make valuations and corrections of your own work.
  6. Recognize the representation of masculinity in the history of the arts.
  7. Search, select and manage information autonomously, both in structured sources (databases, bibliographies, specialized journals) and in information distributed on the network.
  8. Students can apply the knowledge to their own work or vocation in a professional manner and have the powers generally demonstrated by preparing and defending arguments and solving problems within their area of study.
  9. Students must develop the necessary learning skills in order to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.

Content

  1. Introduction to the theory of culture and cultural studies. The debates on the canon.
  2. Popular culture and economic and power structures. The cultural continuum and the tension of boundaries.
  3. Culture as a space for the creation and reformulation of subjectivities and identities. Cultural studies and feminisms. Culture and postcolonial and decolonial studies. Lesbian, gay and queer studies.
  4. The approach to culture from theories of desire, theories of affections, posthumanism and ecocriticism. Current trends in cultural studies.
  5. Case studies.

Methodology

  • Directed activities, made up of theoretical classes, debates and classroom practices (face-to-face or virtual).
  • Autonomous activities, where the reading of the proposed texts and the preparation of works are included.
  • Supervised activities, which must allow the preparation of a work and its presentation.

 

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Lessons, seminars and supervised practice 45 1.8 1, 2, 7, 3, 4, 5, 9, 8, 6
Type: Supervised      
Mandatory tutorials 5 0.2 1, 2, 7, 3, 4, 5, 9, 8, 6
Oral presentations and discussions 25 1 1, 2, 7, 3, 4, 5, 9, 8, 6
Type: Autonomous      
Elaboration of works and projects 45 1.8 1, 2, 7, 3, 4, 5, 9, 8, 6
Reading and analysis of texts 30 1.2 1, 2, 7, 3, 4, 9

Assessment

Assessment activities

Description

Value

Critical essay

The work will take the form of a critical essay where a cultural product will be analyzed from the theoretical perspectives worked on in the course. The teacher will announce the delivery date at the beginning of the semester.

40%

Presentation

As a group, a set of readings should be prepared to be presented in the classroom and the discussion should be stimulated. Distribution will take place at the beginning of the semester.

30%

Final test

There will be a final synthesis test to evaluate the theoretical and practical contents. The teacher will report the date at the beginning of the semester.

30%

 

 

  • The final mark will be the average of the marks of the three assessment activities. In order to pass the course it is necessary to obtain at least an average grade of 5.
  • At the time of each evaluation activity, the teacher will inform the students of the procedure and the date of revision of the grades.
  • Students will receive a Failing grade if they have not submitted one of the assessment activities.
  • Students will receive the grade of Not assessed as long as they have not submitted two or more of the assessment activities.
  • Students who obtain a final grade of less than 5 can take remedial exam if they have attended at least 2 of the 3 assessment activities.
  • A good command of the oral and written language is required. Spelling and grammatical errors will discount 0.25 each one.
  • In the event that tests or exams cannot be taken onsite, they will be adapted to an online format made available through the UAB’s virtual tools (original weighting will be maintained). Homework, activities and class participation will be carried out through forums, wikis and/or discussion on Teams, etc. Lecturers will ensure that students are able to access these virtual tools, or will offer them feasible alternatives.
  • In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.

 

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Final test 35% 0 0 1, 2, 7, 3, 4, 5, 9, 8, 6
Individual essay 35% 0 0 1, 2, 7, 3, 4, 5, 9, 8, 6
Oral presentation 30% 0 0 1, 2, 7, 3, 4, 5, 9, 8, 6

Bibliography

The teacher will post a set of readings and videos on the virtual campus -or, if necessary, provide the link- for discussion and work.

 

Azpeitia, Barral, Díaz, González Cortés, Moreno i Yago (eds.) (2001). Piel que habla. Viaje a través de los cuerpos femeninos. Barcelona: Icaria Editorial.

Barker, Martin i Beezer, Anne (eds.) (1994). Introducción a los estudios culturales. Barcelona: Bosch Casa Editorial.

Barthes, Roland (2006). “Por una Psico-Sociología de la Alimentación Contemporánea”. A EMPIRIA. Revista de Metodología de Ciencias Sociales, núm. 11, p. 205-221.

Barthes, Roland (2017). Mitologies. Barcelona:Àtic dels llibres.

Braidotti, Rosi (2020). Coneixement posthumà. Barcelona: Arcàdia.

Clúa, Isabel (ed.) (2008). Género y cultura popular. Estudios culturales I. Bellaterra: Edicions UAB.

Culler, Jonathan. (2020). Breve introducción a la teoría literaria. Editorial Planeta. Barcelona.

Fernàndez, Josep-Anton. (2009). “De les ‘Exxcursionistes calentes’ a les ‘Elegies de Bierville’, i viceversa: els Estudis Culturals”. A: Literatura i cultura: Aproximacions comparatistes. Palma: Editorial Lleonard Muntaner.

Hall, Stuart (1984). “Notas sobre la deconstrucción de lo «popular»”. A Samuel, Ralph (ed.), Historia popular y teoría socialista. Barcelona: Editorial Crítica.

Hollows, Joanne (2005). “Feminismo, estudios culturales y cultura popular”. A Lectora: revista de dones i textualitat, núm. 11, p. 15-28.

Jameson, Fredric i Žižek, Slavoj (1998). Estudios culturales. Reflexiones sobre el multiculturalismo.Buenos Aires: Editorial Paidós.

Pons, Margalida (2020). “Emocions proscrites: escriptura, gènere, afectes i algunes veus de la poesia catalana contemporània”. A 452ºF. Revista electrónica de teoría de la literatura y literatura comparada, 22, p. 39-59.

Pulido, Genara (2010). “Aportaciones teóricas de los estudios culturales latinoamericanos”. A 452ºF. Revista electrónica de teoría de la literatura y literatura comparada, 3, p. 53-69.

Segarra, Marta (2013). Escriure el desig. De La celestina a Maria-Mercè Marçal. Catarroja: Editorial Afers.

Segarra, Marta (2021). Comunidades con acento. Icaria Editorial.

Weik, Alexa (2017). Affective ecologies. Empathy, emotion, and environmental narrative. Columbus: The Ohio State University Press.

Software

Just the usual software.