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Gender Perspectives

Module description

Why has gender become such an important social and political issue? How does it relate to sex and to the body? How does it affect our life, actions and identity? Why have gender and sex discrimination become key employability issues? Understanding the role gender has played in Spanish history, culture and society will develop your awareness of this protected characteristic, central to the UK Equality Act and to Spanish and European legislation. You will use legal, literary and journalistic texts, films and advertising to examine Spain from a gender perspective and enhance your understanding of a key contemporary debate.

Module aims - intentions of the module

To provide an introduction to the study of gender and to its importance for achieving a thorough understanding of modern Hispanic culture and society, through a variety of media.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Demonstrate familiarity with and understanding of selected texts and key aspects of their historical, literary and cultural context

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 2. Recognise the existence of differing critical responses to the material
• 3. Mount an argument in sound written English using basic textual or other evidence
• 4. Read and analyse passages in Spanish
• 5. Use a reading list to identify material relevant to a given aspect of the subject
• 6. Show ability to give bibliographical information accurately and consistently, following established guidelines

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 7. Undertake structured learning activities as explained in course materials in ELE
• 8. Assimilate, select and organise material in order to prepare for seminars and for the final examination
• 9. Present a simple but cogent argument in writing, in English, on a specified topic
• 10. Explain and discuss personal conclusions in seminars

Syllabus plan

Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following topics:

• Introduction to gender studies and gender mainstreaming (perspectiva de género)
• Gender perspectives in Spanish history, society and culture
• Carmen (film, Carlos Saura)
• Mi querida señorita (film, Armiñan and Borau)
• El sur/ The South (Adelaida García Morales)
• Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios / Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (P. Almodóvar)
• Hable con ella / Talk to Her (P. Almodóvar)
• Conclusion and revision

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• CUDDON, J A The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory
• DAVIES, C The Companion to Hispanic Studies (London, Arnold, 2002)
• GIES, D T The Cambridge Companion to Modern Spanish Culture (CUP, 1999)
• GRAHAM, H and LABANYI, J Spanish Cultural Studies: an Introduction. (Oxford University Press, 1995)
• HOPEWELL, J Out of the Past: Spanish Cinema after Franco (London, British Film Institute, 1986)

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• ELE – https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=2581 

Indicative learning resources - Other resources

• La casa de Bernarda Alba (film or text) (Federico García Lorca)
• Carmen (Carlos Saura) (film)
• Mi querida señorita (film, Armiñan and Borau)
• El Sur / The South , Adelaida García Morales ( novella )
• Casa de verano / Summer House, a short-story by Nuria Amat, available in Spanish, http://www.barcelonareview.com/amat/s_na.htm  and in English,
• http://www.barcelonareview.com/amat/e_na.htm  both from www.barcelonareview.com
• Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios / Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (P. Almodóvar) (film)
• Hable con ella / Talk to Her (P. Almodóvar) (film)

Key words search

Gender, Spain, Cinema, Democracy, History, Interdisciplinary, Literature