3.00 Credits
Prerequisite: SOCI 1010;Description: Through a combination of readings, discussions, and written assignments, this course examines the concept of gender and its impact on our society. First, we will critically review various theoretical perspectives that have tried to define sex and gender categories, explain differences between men and women, and sometimes justify gender stratification. We will then look at how men and women are assigned different roles in various institutions, and how they have different levels of social, economic, and political power in society. We will also look at the consequences of gender categorization for our intimate relationships, our health, our attitudes to violence. Finally, we will look at how throughout history, social movements have challenged existing gender categories, and what issues will be prominent in the future. The approach of this course is that the current gender hierarchy tends to exaggerate differences between men and women and force them into rigid molds, while in reality, men and women have much in common, and would benefit from a more flexible approach to gender.