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Major - Women's Studies

To be read in conjunction with the program of study requirements for the degree in which you are enrolled:

A student may complete a major sequence of 36 units in Women's Studies by completing two Year 1 topics (9 units), two Year 2 topics (9 units) and two Year 3 topics (9 units) plus two additional topics (9 units) from the Year 2 or Year 3 topics listed in the program of study below.

A student may complete a minor sequence of 22.5 units in Women's Studies by completing two Year 1 topics (9 units), plus three upper level topics (13.5 units) from the Year 2 or Year 3 topics listed in the program of study below.

A minor in Women's Studies is not available to students who commenced the Bachelor of Education (Primary R-7), Bachelor of Arts from 1 January 2019.

The minor sequence is not available to students who commenced the Bachelor of Arts, Master of Teaching (Primary R-7) from 1 January 2020

A student may complete an extended major sequence in Women's Studies by completing the prescribed major topics (36 units), plus an additional two topics (9 units) from the Year 2 or Year 3 topics listed below.

An extended major in Women's Studies is not available to students enrolled in the double Bachelor of Education/Bachelor of Arts.

Course aims

Women's Studies aims to educate students in the interdisciplinary knowledge and skills required to analyse gender and related categories of difference from a critical feminist perspective.  It prepares students to identify and challenge injustice and those social and cultural norms which create exploitative power relations based on gender and/or other differences. It aims to foster self-reflexive and ethical approaches to all areas of life. Students will broaden their knowledge of gender issues in their local and international communities.

Women's Studies educates students in the use of a critical conceptual vocabulary that facilitates creative thinking about gender and encourages students to think about potential solutions to the problems raised by contemporary gender relations. It aims to develop students' capacity for thinking and communicating critically, creatively and autonomously by encouraging open communication and by the use of both independent and collaborative assessment tasks.

Learning outcomes

At the completion of the major students are expected to be able to:

  • Demonstrate a familiarity with the basic concepts and vocabulary of the interdisciplinary area of Women's Studies,
  • Demonstrate an advanced knowledge of the social, political and cultural workings of gender and its interrelation with other differences
  • Apply Women's Studies frameworks and feminist theories to a diverse range of key areas of investigation
  • Demonstrate a critical appreciation of their own social and cultural position with respect to gender and related differences
  • Act with an enhanced ethical sense in relation to power relations based on gender and other differences
  • Demonstrate advanced skills in verbal and written communication.

Program of study

The following is the program of study for a 36 unit major sequence in Women's Studies and should be read in conjunction with the course rule for the degree in which you are enrolled.

Major - Women's Studies

Core - Year 1 topics

 WMST1001  Sex, Gender and Identities in Australia*  (4.5 units)
 WMST1002  Gender, Power and Change: Introducing Feminist Debates#  (4.5 units)

or select 4.5 units from the above year 1 topics plus 4.5 units of year 1 topics from any Bachelor of Arts major or minor sequence

Option - Year 2 topics

Select 9 units from the year 2 topics listed below

 HIST2022  Memory and the Politics of Difference: Sex, Race and Belonging  (4.5 units)
 SOCI2004  Sociology of Work and Organisations  (4.5 units)
 WMST2012  Sex, Gender and Identities in Australia*  (4.5 units)
 WMST2013  Gender, Power and Change: Introducing Feminist Debates#  (4.5 units)
 WMST2014  Media and Cultural Identities: Gender, Race and Sexuality  (4.5 units)
 WMST2015  Sex, Gender and the Law  (4.5 units)
 WMST2016  Indigenous Women's Voices: Race, Gender and Colonialism  (4.5 units)
 WMST2017  Gender, Globalisation and International Development  (4.5 units)
 WMST2018  Researching Women's Life Stories  (4.5 units)
 WMST2027  Feminist Political Theory  (4.5 units)

plus select an additional 4.5 units from the year 2 topics listed above or year 3 topics listed below or Option – Year 2 & 3 topics also listed below.

Core - Year 3 topics

 WMST3010  Thinking through the Body  (4.5 units)

plus 4.5 units from the year 3 topics listed below

 WMST3006  Supervised Study in Women's Studies  (4.5 units)
 WMST3009  Sexualities: Perspectives, Pleasures, Politics  (4.5 units)
 WMST3011  The personal is political: Governing marriage and marriage-like relationships  (4.5 units)
 WMST3012  Performing Masculinities  (4.5 units)
 WMST3013  Gendering Politics and Policy: Justice, Rights and Representation  (4.5 units)
 WMST3014  Global Feminist Activism  (4.5 units)

plus select an additional 4.5 units from year 2 or 3 topics. These may include 4.5 units from the following:

Option - Year 2 & 3 topics

 HIST3007  Body Politics in Australian History  (4.5 units)
 POLI3067  Access and Equity: Social Issues in Public Policy  (4.5 units)
 SOCI2022  Sociology of Intimacy  (4.5 units)
 SOCI3048  Gender and Sexuality  (4.5 units)
 WORK3200  Social & Policy Studies Workplace Research Project  (4.5 units)

*Students may not count both WMST1001 and WMST2012 towards their degree. 
#Students may not count both WMST1002 and WMST2013 towards their degree.

Honours

Refer to Honours - Women's Studies

Every effort has been made to ensure the information published on the Course Rule pages is accurate at the time of publication. Flinders University reserves the right to amend its curriculum without prior notice, and will update the Course Rules to reflect any amendments at the earliest opportunity.

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