Gender Relations

Curriculum guideline

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Course
PSYC 3120
Discontinued
No
Course code
PSYC 3120
Descriptive
Gender Relations
Department
Psychology
Faculty
Humanities & Social Sciences
Credits
3.00
Start date
End term
201620
PLAR
No
Semester length
15
Max class size
35
Contact hours
Lecture 4 hours per week/semester
Method(s) of instruction
Lecture
Learning activities

The course will involve a number of instructional methods, such as the following:

  • lectures
  • small group discussions
  • demonstrations
  • presentations
  • video content
Course description
The course will examine biological, psychological, and socio-cultural determinants of gender across the lifespan. Research methods and research biases will be examined. Gender differences and similarities will be evaluated in language, cognition, and relationships. Comparisons will be made between social constructionist and essentialist perspectives of gender and sexuality. An interactional approach will highlight how race, class, ethnicity, colonization, and (dis)ability mediate gendered identity and experience.
Course content

How Gender Shapes Our Lives

Doing gender.

Gender as a binary.

Constructionism and essentialism.

Intersectionality and ethnocentrism.

 

The Lenses of Gender

Androcentrism, gender polarization, biological essentialism.

Gender psychology and the negotiation of power.

The impact of stereotypes and socio-cultural norms in gender psychology.

 

Gender, The Body, and Psychology

Gender representations within language, media, and psychology.

Intersexuality, transsexuality, gender bending, and gender blending.

Sexualities.

The psychology of eating.

Gendering athleticism.

Violence on gender, racialized, and sexualized bodies.

Imprisoned bodies.

Gendered psychology in the workplace and economy.

 

Gender and Development

Socialization forces in gender formation.

Psychological theories of gender identity.

Gender in childhood and adolescence.

Gender in aging.

Gender differences in cognition and relationships across the lifespan.

Learning outcomes

At the conclusion of the course the successful student will be able to:

  1. Describe how gender shapes our lives individually, interpersonally, and culturally.
  2. Describe the socialization processes of gender.
  3. Describe interactions of race, class, culture, sexuality, and gender.
  4. Describe the role of verbal and non-verbal cues in gender-related differences.
  5. Describe how language and social institutions frame the way people speak and think.
  6. Describe biological and social influences on gender.
  7. Describe the social context of aging and gender.
  8. Describe childhood and adolescent development of gender identity.
  9. Describe the gendered construction of love, relationships, and sexuality.
  10. Critically assess the politics of the workplace and the role of the media in relation to gender issues.
Means of assessment

The course evaluation will be in accordance with Douglas College and Psychology Department policies. Evaluations will be based on the course objectives. The specific evaluation criteria will be provided by the instructor at the beginning of the semester.

An example of a possible evaluation scheme would be:

2 Midterm Exams     50%

Final Exam               20%

Presentation              15%

Research Essay         15%

Total                       100%

Textbook materials

Textbooks and Materials to be Purchased by Students:

Textbook(s) such as the following, the list to be updated periodically:

Brannon, L. (2008). Gender: psychological perspectives (5th ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Nelson, A. (2010). Gender in Canada (4th ed.). Don Mills, Canada: Pearson Education Canada.

Unger, R., & Crawford, M. (2004). Women and gender: A feminist psychology (4th ed.). New York, NY:    

         McGraw-Hill.

and/or

A course pack of prepared readings of peer-reviewed theoretical and empirical primary sources (journals selected from PsycInfo and chapters drawn from academic press)

Prerequisites

(PSYC 1100 and PSYC 1200)

or

(PSYC 1110 plus one of (PSYC 1100 or PSYC 1200))

or

(WSGR 1101 plus one of (PSYC 1100 or PSYC 1200))