Women’s & Gender Studies

This course develops an intersectional understanding of gender and media research, examining the intersection of gender, sexuality, race, and class. Interrogating a broad range of media forms, it introduces key concepts within gender and media scholarship and equips students with the theoretical and methodological tools for undertaking independent research projects. Responding to key debates and events in current popular media culture, topics can include the shifting constructions of femininity, masculinity, transgender, and LGBTIQ+ subjectivities; feminist approaches to media production; industry appropriations of empowerment ideals and "woke capitalism"; and emerging trends of celebrity feminisms. 

This course explores feminist and queer methodologies, which have been attracting attention in the social sciences in recent years. This course is divided into the following four sections to understand the distinct but overlapping nature of feminist and queer methodologies: (1) feminist epistemology/methodology; (2) qualitative and quantitative feminist methods; (3) queer epistemology/methodology, and (4) qualitative and quantitative queer methods. Given the instructor’s expertise, a substantial amount of class time will be spent on queer quantitative sociology (queer demography). Through this course, students will learn that any social research method can be used from a feminist and queer perspective and articulate the interrelationship between theory, methods, and practice. 

The course is dedicated to the comparison with current themes of the history of women, such as: participation in political and social life, inclusion and exclusion, the role of women in the family, education, and violence against women. Group work and group readings are planned in class to debate different viewpoints. The course investigates the history of women as a fundamental aspect of Ancient History, with special reference to the roman period, with the awareness of the specificities of the female condition in each period and of the transformations carried out over the period under consideration. Issues connected with ancient source analysis do not require knowledge of Greek and Latin, since a translation in Italian is always be provided. A basic knowledge of classical languages is however recommended. The course discusses topics including: gender history and some of the main aspects relevant for classical studies: work, culture, religion, and marriage; the condition of women from the Roman Republic to the Early Imperial period; the legal status of women; women's wealth; the (public?) space of women in roman imperial courts; stereotypes in womens’ stories: the need to identify interpretative categories, structures, and models through the analysis of historical and historiographical sources; inclusion and exclusion: women and work, case study: work at home, work outside; and case studies: women, body and sex, and abortion and the violence on women (from Lucrezia to Metoo).

Through the lens of gender and sexuality, this course analyzes how knowledge, history, policies, and norms are produced, configured, mediated, and governed. It examines some of the basic concepts and theoretical perspectives of studies on women, gender, and sexuality. Additionally, this course discusses a set of thematic areas that hold an enduring, if shifting, place within the field as a whole and that are also key to the regulation and transgression of gender, sexuality, and intersecting axes of difference. 

This class analyzes language and gender issues in contemporary society. It looks at how gender issues appear in language, and how language affects these gender issues. Topics include feminism, performative theory, queer theory, gender theory, sociolinguistics, discourse analysis, critical discourse research, and how gender-related phenomena relate to language. This course also covers various gender theories in modern societies; critically examines language use and the social issues naturalized in it; tools and theories of linguistics; and how language might influence our world, and how we can use language to make this world a better place.

In line with notions from the Gender Revolution, gender inequalities within Western societies have narrowed or even reversed in some areas in the last half-century. For instance, women’s overall labor market participation has increased dramatically. Nevertheless, women have maintained primary responsibility for domestic tasks stalling overall progress towards gender equality. In the first half of each session, we synthesize the literature on gender inequalities in the labor market and the family focusing on heterosexual couples and aspects such as the division of labor, occupation, and income. To this end, we also discuss the underlying theoretical explanations and assumptions about such inequalities and the relevance of the country context. The second half of each session takes place in the PC pool. Here we explore gender inequalities using German panel data. We start with a brief introduction to the statistical software and the dataset before exploring gender inequalities descriptively and using regression approaches. Due to the complexity of the substantial topic, we predominantly focus on economic gender inequalities in these applied sessions. No prior knowledge of panel data is assumed, but a general interest in and knowledge of quantitative methods is expected.

The course gives an introduction to the Nordic context and an overview of how the concept and implementation of gender equality has developed and is currently practiced in the Nordic countries. The main focus is on the period after the 1970s, and themes that are taught relate gender equality to: gender equality as a concept; the women's movement and state feminism; work-life balance and gender equality ideals; access to work and politics; Nordic gender equality in an intersectional perspective; men and masculinities: change and continuity; gender equality and LGBTQ+ rights; gender-based violence; gender, climate, and indigenous rights. Moreover, dilemmas and paradoxes concerning gender equality in the Nordic countries are a central theme, as well as the attempt to answer questions as: How can we understand changing gender norms in the Nordic countries, and to what extent is it possible to identify a Nordic model of gender equality?

This course introduces and explores gender and sexuality studies, mainly from a sociological perspective, by examining various issues in recent Japanese society.

In Japan today, we frequently hear terms such as the “gender gap” and “LGBTQ”, some of which may be regarded as “current must-know terms” for university examinations or employment examinations. However, not many people recognize that gender is essentially a matter of power-knowledge. Gender, as power-knowledge, acts as a structural background that goes beyond the good or bad intentions of individuals. This course aims to examine how gender as power-knowledge makes various things unremarkable and socially “natural” (e.g., stay-at-home moms, heterosexual couples) but other things more distinctive (e.g., stay-at-home dads, gay couples).

Based on traditional discussions of power relations between men and women, this course outlines recent discussions focusing on complex relations among women and among men that do not always fit into the monolithic scheme of “male domination of women.” During the first half of the semester (lectures 1–6), the course covers basic ideas and concepts in gender and sexuality studies; in the second half (lectures 7–14), the course examines social issues, mainly in recent Japanese society.

*Topics regarding violence (including rape and hate crimes) will be discussed in multiple sessions of this course. Carefully consider your enrollment in this course if these topics make you uncomfortable; alternative assignments can be provided for these sessions.

What are the methodological implications of queer theory? What makes an article or a research project 'queer’ or ‘feminist’? This course provides students with a practical exploration of queer theory and feminist perspectives in research methods. We examine how societal norms and power structures impact research, including research design, data collection methods (such as surveys, interviews, and observations), data analysis techniques, and ethical considerations in research. We explore a range of concepts, such as intersectionality, homonormativity, and anti- and inter-disciplinarity, and discuss how they could shape and inform sociology and research. After covering these key concepts, we focus on ethnographic methods and address the ethics of conducting research with vulnerable groups, including the importance of consent, confidentiality, and reflexivity. Throughout the course, students develop critical thinking skills, engage in discussions and debates, and conduct research tasks under the supervision of the instructor. The course hosts guest speakers who are experienced in gender and sexuality research in Germany.  

Queer history is both a subject and a practice, and this course provides an introduction to both. It is, first, an introductory global history of sexuality, demonstrating the vast range of approaches different societies have taken to regulating and experiencing the body and desire. It also aims to introduce students to the method of queer history, one of many approaches to the past which illuminate how Historical Grand Narratives are produced, and how they might change.