Course Outline
- Introduction
- Sex and Gender
- Crucial Terms in Gender Studies
- Gender and Socialization
- Gender and the Family
- Theoretical Analysis of Gender
- The Structural Functional Theory
- The Social Conflict Theory
- Summary and Analysis of Recommended Texts
- Revision/Study Questions
Introduction
ENG 373: Introduction to Gender Studies provides students with a working knowledge of the different theories which have been propounded as being responsible for the construction of gender, namely, biological and psychological determinism. The psychological determinism involves factors like culture and other social forces. Some of the basic concepts used in gender studies are discussed so as to ground them in the experiences of the learners. The course examines, among others, the theoretical assertion that people’s variable gender identities are a result of psychological, historical and cultural factors that impact on society by analyzing the works of some gender theorists as well as creative writers from Africa, the West and other traditions that are relevant to the subject.