BA Honours in Gender Studies

BA Honours In Gender Studies

The College of Human Sciences is proud to offer a cutting-edge, interdisciplinary Honours degree in Gender Studies.

Gender Studies focuses on the social construction of gender, gendered power structures and the ways in which our lives are lived through gendered bodies. Gender continues to shape the life experiences of human beings in ways that are both subtle and profound.

Admission requirements

The BA (Hons) (Gender Studies) is an interdisciplinary postgraduate programme for graduates of the BA degree. Students may apply on the Unisa website (www.unisa.ac.za) to register for the degree if they have successfully completed a BA degree and have achieved an average of 60% or above for any subject at third-year level.

The degree comprises five modules:

GROUP A COMPULSORY:

GENDER THEORY (GEN4801)

The purpose of this module is to equip students with:

a)    an interdisciplinary theoretical grounding in the traditions of contemporary feminism, queer studies and masculinity studies, thus increasing their motivation to and their capacity for acting as gender change agents;

b)    the capacity to connect feminist theory, queer theory and masculinity studies in their personal/local situation with the broader patriarchal and heteronormative social environment,  thus facilitating their ability to engage with the theoretical and practical implications of gender critically and holistically.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY IN GENDER STUDIES (HMGEN80)

The purpose of this module is to equip students with:

a)    an understanding of the specificities of feminist approaches to research as well as the critiques and debates surrounding these approaches;

b)    an understanding of a range of methods of enquiry, including appropriate procedures, processes and techniques in the discipline of Gender Studies and their suitability for specific research tasks;

c)    advanced information retrieval and processing skills to locate, identify, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information;

d)    a working grasp of the appropriate methods for quantitative and qualitative research,  including the use of appropriate ICT.

 RESEARCH REPORT IN GENDER STUDIES (HRGEN81)

The purpose of this module is to equip students with knowledge and skills to be able to:

(a)               formulate a viable research proposal for an appropriate research report in an identified field of Gender Studies with the     assistance of a supervisor;

(b)               design an appropriate structure for a research report;

(c)               undertake an appropriate literature review and develop a gendered analysis of the identified research field;

(d)               present research findings in their identified field in the form of a research report using standard practices and conventions employed in Gender Studies research, with the guidance of a supervisor.

GROUP B: ELECTIVES (CHOOSE TWO)

GENDER IN CONTEXT (GEN4802)

The purpose of this module is to equip students with:

(a)  systematic knowledge and understanding of debates and issues of gender in relation to two of the following gendered aspects of social reality:  reproductive health, development and religion at global, national and local levels;

(b)  the capacity to analyse and critically reflect on their personal/local gender relations with the aim of engaging with the wider community as change agents for greater gender equality.

The overall purpose of the module will be achieved via the teaching of three elective themes, of which students must choose two:

•           Gender and development

•           Gender and religion

•           Gender and reproductive health

GENDER AND REPRESENTATION (GEN4803)

The purpose of this module is to equip students with:

(a)  an interdisciplinary theoretical grounding in the challenges associated with gender representation in our society, thus increasing their motivation to, and their capacity for addressing these challenges;

(b)  the capacity to connect gender issues in their personal/local situation with the broader patriarchal social environment, thus facilitating their ability to think critically and holistically and act effectively as gender change agents.

(c)  The purposes of the module will be achieved via the two compulsory themes of study:

• Gender and Media Studies
• Gender and Literary Studies

DECOLONIALITY: AFRICANA THOUGHT, DISCOURSE AND CRITIQUE - CHS4801

The purpose of this module is to enable students to:

(a)  critically analyse and develop an understanding of concepts, themes, theories, regimes, case studies and African canonical figures from the decolonial epistemic perspective;

(b)  The students will develop the necessary skills to frame critical thought outside Euro-North American critical theory and to think from African existential conditions.

Bachelor of Arts Honours in Gender Studies.

For more information please contact,

Ms Mapula Mogashoa

mogasmn@unisa.ac.za