Anthropology of Sex/Gender Systems
Code: 101252 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 2500256 Social and Cultural Anthropology | OB | 3 |
Contact
- Name:
- Maria Bruna Alvarez Mora
- Email:
- bruna.alvarez@uab.cat
Teachers
- Maria Bruna Alvarez Mora
- Zenaida-Maria Andreica
- (External) A determinar
Teaching groups languages
You can view this information at the end of this document.
Prerequisites
No prerequisites.
Objectives and Contextualisation
Competences
- Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
- Apprehending cultural diversity through ethnography and critically assessing ethnographic materials as knowledge of local contexts and as a proposal of theoretical models.
- Carry out effective written work or oral presentations adapted to the appropriate register in different languages.
- Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
- Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
- Take sex- or gender-based inequalities into consideration when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
- Using the discipline's ethnographic and theoretical corpus with analytical and synthesis skills.
Learning Outcomes
- Analyse the sex- or gender-based inequalities and the gender biases present in one's own area of knowledge.
- Analysing a contemporary fact from an anthropological perspective.
- Applying the basic concepts of Social and Cultural Anthropology to the understanding of relationships between various societies and cultures.
- Applying the knowledge of cultural variability and its genesis to avoid ethnocentric projections.
- Communicate using language that is not sexist or discriminatory.
- Consider how gender stereotypes and roles impinge on the exercise of the profession.
- Critically analyse the principles, values and procedures that govern the exercise of the profession.
- Express ideas with a specific vocabulary appropriate to the discipline.
- Identify the principal forms of sex- or gender-based inequality and discrimination present in society.
- Identifying the sociocultural variability through ethnographic texts and audiovisual resources.
- Identifying the transcultural variability of economic, kinship, political, symbolic and cognitive, educational and gender systems as well as their corresponding anthropological theory.
- Interpreting the cultural diversity through ethnography.
- Interpreting today's main events from physical, economic, social and cultural diversity.
- Summarising acquired knowledge about the origin and transformations experienced in the several fields of anthropology.
- Summarizing the characteristics of a written text in accordance to its communicative purposes.
- Theoretically analysing ethnographic examples of cultural diversity in the fields of education, gender and inclusion-exclusion systems.
- Weigh up the impact of any long- or short-term difficulty, harm or discrimination that could be caused to certain persons or groups by the actions or projects.
Content
Unit 1: Introduction and Key Concepts
Topic 1: What is Gender, Sex/Gender, Anthropology of Sex/Gender Systems
Topic 2: Anthropology, Gender, and Feminisms
Unit 2: Dualisms
Topic 3: Nature / Culture
Topic 4: Production / Reproduction
Topic 5: Public / Private - Work / Family
Topic 6: Masculine / Feminine
Unit 3: Anthropology of Gender in the Present
Topic 7: Race, Gender, and Intersectionality
Topic 8: Anthropology of Masculinities
Topic 9: Anthropology of Sexualities
Topic 10: Contributions of Queer Theory to Anthropology
Topic 11: Gender and Violence
Activities and Methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Activities, visionaries and conferences in large group | 20 | 0.8 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 16 |
| Lectures and master classes made for professor and invited experts | 30 | 1.2 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Individual and / or group tutorials (face to face and / or virtual) | 2 | 0.08 | 1, 5, 6, 8, 11, 12 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Reading, analysis, preparation and writing of individual and group works and study | 18 | 0.72 | 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16 |
| Study of materials and exam preparation | 16 | 0.64 | 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17 |
This Study Guide contains all the information related to the course; therefore, it is the only document to consult for any questions related to the course and its evaluation.
The student is the protagonist of the teaching-learning process, and under this premise, a methodology based on continuous work has been planned.
Regarding the sessions:
The course will be developed through face-to-face sessions directed, supervised, and autonomous work.
The face-to-face sessions will always be conducted with the entire class group and will be dedicated to presenting the course content by the teaching staff and invited professionals, according to the schedule that will be posted on the Virtual Campus at the beginning of the course.
In the face-to-face sessions, active participation of the student group in the analysis and discussion of the topics proposed by the teaching staff will be valued.
Autonomous work:
Autonomous work includes activities such as reading and comprehensively and analytically studying texts, comprehensively and analytically watching audiovisual materials, searching for bibliographic references, searching for information, observing, and writing, among others.
Tutoring:
The supervised sessions will be face-to-face or virtual (by appointment), especially aimed at contributing to the course follow-up and performing evaluation activities. It is recommended to have at least one tutoring session throughout the course to adequately follow up on the course.
Regarding communication:
Communication will be carried out through the Virtual Campus.
Regarding written assignments:
Formal and format aspects:
- All written assignments must be submitted through the Virtual Campus
- Identified with the student ID (NIU)
- In PDF format
- With numbered pagination
- Indicating the total number of words
- In Catalan, Spanish, or English
- Without spelling and/or grammatical errors
- With citations, notes, references, and bibliography in APA format
Contents:
Any written presentation should contain:
- Summary/Abstract
- Introduction
- Background
- Questions
- Findings / Arguments / Foundation / Discussion: presentation and discussion of the main points of the worked bibliography in relation to the questions. This section can be organized into one or several sections.
- Conclusions
- Bibliographic references in APA format
These sections and titles are flexible, so others can be chosen to better fit the objective of providing the greatest logical sense and presentation to the work.
Correction criteria:
- Quality of the presentation, format, writing, and bibliographic references in APA
- Comprehension, breadth, and depth of the analysis of the bibliography, presentations, and viewings worked on and their relation to the course concepts
- Presentation of an articulated text through coherent and academically founded argumentation
- Linking presentations, bibliographies, and/or viewings with ethnographic examples from the press, personal experience, or ethnographic observation.
Grading scale:
To what extent have the objectives indicated in the grading criteria been achieved?
- 0: submission after the deadline or outside the Virtual Campus' deadline without duly accredited justification
- 1-4.9: submission not based on the required analysis materials in each case or based only on a description or summary of the proposed materials
- 5-6.9: submission of an articulated academic text based on the proposed materials
- 7-8.9: submission based on the proposed materials incorporating additional materials or ethnographic examples, experience, press, observation
- 9-10: submission based on the proposed materials incorporating additional materials and ethnographic examples, experience, press, observation
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.
Assessment
Continous Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final Exam | 30% | 20 | 0.8 | 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 13, 15 |
| Mandatory Reading Individual Essay | 25% | 20 | 0.8 | 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16 |
| Mandatory Reading Tests | 20% | 14 | 0.56 | 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15, 17 |
| Midterm exam | 10% | 5 | 0.2 | 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15 |
| Photovoice | 15% | 5 | 0.2 | 5, 8, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 |
Continous evaluation
ACTIVITY 1: Questionnaires on each mandatory reading (20%)
This individual activity aims to encourage reading of the mandatory texts and extracting key concepts, and it accounts for 20% of the final course grade.
Using the questionnaire tool on the virtual campus, 10 tests are designed where students must answer between eight and ten questions from each reading. The questionnaires will be completed during the student's autonomous work hours, and the answers will be reviewed at the beginning of the session dedicated to each reading, where the questions will be discussed, and the text analyzed in depth.
The dates for the tests are: September 18, September 25, October 2, October 14, October 23, November 11, November 18, November 25, December 2, and December 9.
ACTIVITY 2: Individual Essay (25%)
This is an individual activity aimed at learning to recognize and relate three key concepts from three mandatory readings through an essay of a maximum of 500 words. It accounts for 25% of the final course grade.
Detailed instructions for this activity, as well as its evaluation rubric, will be posted on the virtual campus at the beginning of the course.
The submission deadline for this activity is October 16.
ACTIVITY 3: Collaborative Exam (10%)
This activity aims to work on individual responsibility towards a collective goal. It is a group activity of three people, where each person will have an assigned number (1, 2, or 3). All group members will take an individual midterm exam, but the teacher will only grade one of the three exams (1, 2, or 3).
The activity will consist of answering five questions from the mandatory readings covered up to that point.
Therefore, group work involves ensuring that the entire group has understood and can relate the key concepts from the five articles, as the evaluation will be based on only one person’sexam, but the grade will be collective.
Detailed instructions for this activity, as well as its evaluation rubric, will be posted on the virtual campus at the beginning of the course.
The date for the collective midterm exam is November 4.
ACTIVITY 4: Photo Voice (15%)
This is a participatory activity inspired by the research-action methodology, photovoice, which aims to create spaces for dialogue fostering critical reflection through images. It is a group activity where each person, individually, must take a photograph related to a topic covered in the course and reflect on it through an image discussed with the literature studied during the course.
The activity spans three sessions (4.5 hours), where the entire process related to the proposed methodology will be seen. In the first session (16/12/24), there will be a theoretical class where the teachers will explain the methodology, what it is, and how it works, and the group, topic, and specific premise of the work will be selected. In the second session (18/12/24), each person must bring their own photograph that meets the requirements set in the previous session. From this photograph, thematic focus groups will be conducted to share reflections. Finally, in the last session (08/01/25), an exhibition will be held in the classroom through an academic poster presenting the image and the analyzed focus group.
Contents and formal aspects of the poster:
- Format A1, in color.
- It is recommended to use a legible, large-sized font.
- Title
- Description
- Image(s)
- Theoretical discussion
- Focus group results
- Conclusion
- In-text citations
Evaluation criteria:
- Attendance at the three sessions (5%)
- Conducting an elevator pitch (5-minute presentation, time set depending on the number of students) (5%)
- Peer evaluation (5%)
ACTIVITY 5: Final Exam (30%)
This final exam aims to provide a general overview of the course and consists of:
- Multiple-choice exam with 25 questions randomly selected from all the questions in the mandatory readings’ questionnaires (10%)
- Essay linking a news article with three key concepts from three mandatory readings (20%)
This exam will take place on the 15th of January 2025.
SINGLE EVALUATION
The single evaluation will consist of a synchronous exam comprising three parts:
A1. Exam (100%): synchronous completion on the day and time set by the faculty
- Part 1 (30%): multiple-choice exam based on the questionnaire of the mandatory readings (50 questions).
- Part 2 (40%): a news article will be provided to the students, who will need to relate it to three key concepts from three mandatory readings.
- Part 3 (30%): three short questions related to the entire course content.
Bibliography
General Readings
Abu-Lughod, Lila (2019). ¿Puede haber una etnografía feminista? En Alhena Caicedo (Ed.), Antropología y feminismo (pp.15-48). Popayán-Colombia: Asociación Colombiana de Antropología.
Aixelà, Yolanda (2005). Género y antropología social. Sevilla: Editorial Doble J.
Ardener, Shirley (1985). The Social Anthropology of Women and Feminist Anthropology. Anthropology Today, 1(5), 24-26.
Essed, Philomena; Goldberg, David Theo and Kobayashi, Audrey (2009). A companion to Gender Studies. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.
Harris, Olivia y Young, Kate (1979). Antropología y feminismo. Barcelona: Editorial Anagrama.
Héritier, Françoise (1991). La sangre de los guerreros y la sangre de las mujeres. Alteridades, (2), 92-102.
Jabardo, Mercedes y Ródenas, Beatriz (2017). Más allá de las dicotomías. Un análisis de la actividad del trenzado en la diáspora senegalesa desde el feminismo negro. Revista Española de Sociología, 26 (3), 373-384.
Lamas, Marta (comp.). El género. La construcción cultural de la diferencia sexual. Universidad Autónoma de México.
Lewin, Ellen (Ed.). (2006). Feminist Anthropology. A Reader. Blackwell Publishing.
Martín Casares, Aurelia (2006). Antropología del género: Culturas, Mitos y Estereotipos sexuales. Madrid: Cátedra.
Mead, Margaret (1972 [1968]) “La educación del niño samoano”, en Adolescencia, sexo y cultura en Samoa, (54-69). Barcelona: Ed. Laia.
Méndez, Lourdes. (2007). Antropología feminista.Madrid: Síntesis.
Moncó, Beatriz. (2011). Antropología del género. Madrid: Síntesis.
Moore, Henrieta [1988] (1991). Antropología y feminismo. Madrid: Cátedra.
Reiter, Rayna R. (1975). Toward an Anthropology of Women. Monthly Review Press.
Rosaldo, Michelle and Lamphere, Louise (1974). Woman, Culture and Society. Stanford University Press.
Segato, Rita Laura (2003). Las estructuras elementales de la violencia. Contrato y estatus en la etiología de la violencia. En Las estructuras elementales de la violencia. Ensayos sobre género entre la antropología, el psicoanálisis y los derechos humanos (p. 131-149). Buenos Aires: Universidad Nacional de Quilmes.
Stolcke, Verena. (2003). La mujer es puro cuento: la cultura del género. Quaderns de l'Institut Català d'Antropologia, (19), 69-95.
Suarez, Liliana. (coord.) (2008). Feminismos en la antropología. Nuevas propuestas críticas. San Sebastián: Ankulegi.
Software
No specific software required.
Language list
| Name | Group | Language | Semester | Turn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (PAUL) Classroom practices | 1 | Catalan | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (TE) Theory | 1 | Catalan | first semester | morning-mixed |