Section outline

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    General

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    Find Cover sheets and more on UG Info Zone

    • General Module Announcements Forum
      View all general news and announcements
    • Student forum

      Forum Description: This forum is available for everyone to post messages to. Students can raise questions or discuss issues related to the module. Use this forum to raise practical issues (e.g. not being able to access a reading) or technical issues (e.g. lecture recording does not work). Students should feel free to reply to other students if they are able to. You can also use the forum to raise questions of common interest relating to assessments and seminar preparation/discussions. The forum will be monitored by staff.

    • USING THE TOPIC GUIDE ON QMPlus


      The course information is organised by topic, not week. Under each topic you will find the date of the lecture and the date of the seminar for that specific topic.  You will also find the lecture slides and seminar questions.  This is also where you will find the core, additional and supplementary readings for that topic.  You are not expected to consult all of the readings; the supplementary readings are there as additional background reading, if of interest plus to help you prepare your assessments.  For routine weekly reading ahead of your seminar, consulting the core readings and, if possible, supplement with 1 or more of the sources in the additional reading list.

      Remember that the lecture and seminar for each topic are in consecutive weeks, so the seminar for topic 1 is in week 2, and so on. In week 1, the seminar will consist of an introduction to the course, information about how the course is organised, and an opportunity for all members of the seminar to introduce themselves.

      Important information - please read

      A course on gender and politics will inevitably deal with violence, oppression, harassment, intimacy, and other difficult issues. Some of you may find some of the readings and lectures difficult, while others may find the language used explicit. I will do my best to provide content warnings, but it is impossible for anyone to anticipate how someone else might react. Please come and see me if you have any concerns and/or would like to give constructive feedback. It is also important to note that the reading list provided is by no means a comprehensive bibliography on the subject, and that current debates about gender and politics in each topic go beyond those discussed in this module. 


    • NATIONAL STUDENT SURVEY

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    The Cult of Beauty

    Painting by London-based Chinese artist Xu Yang, depicting the artist in period dress and pink wing painting a self-portrait

    Xu Yang, Perhaps We are All Fictions in the Eye of the Beholder (2021). Oil on linen.

    This painting is on display at the Wellcome Collection. As the wall text explains, "This is the first of an ongoing series of self-portraits by London-based Chinese artist Xu Yang. It references the practice of female portrait painters, especially Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun (1755-1842), whose work epitomised French beauty ideals of her day. Yang identifies with women in history restricted by social circumstances, while finding liberation in contemporary drag culture. Combining her inspirations with heightened experiences of racism during the pandemic, she asserts her agency to reconstruct self-identity and redefine beauty continuously through therapeutic self-portrait-making." If you'd like to learn more about the work, listen to artist Xu Yang discuss her painting here.


    “Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder”, we are often told. Or to put it in Shakespeare's words, “Beauty is bought by judgment of the eye” (Love's Labours Lost).

    What comfort we are to take from such an expression is still unclear, especially in a world where to be beautiful often confers a form of power.

    In 2024, conversations about beauty continue and have never felt more necessary, especially in an age of selfies and cosmetic surgery. Fortunately, our understanding about the relationship between beauty and power has become more sophisticated and nuanced. 

    This module begins, therefore, by putting a spotlight on Beauty as an entry point for a critical engagement with past and present debates on gender and politics. 

    This theme will be explored in our first lecture (What is Gender) and will be followed in Week 3 by a visit (during seminar time) to the Wellcome Collection’s temporary exhibition, The Cult of Beauty. 

    While the contributions you’ll encounter are predominantly taken from writings by feminist scholars, I trust the questions and issues will speak to you all, regardless of how you identify.

    The following reading list brings together a range of perspectives and will be extremely useful when preparing for your visit to the exhibition and your first assignment.



    • Wellcome Collection, The Cult of Beauty Visual Story URL
    • Wellcome Collection, The Cult of Beauty Audio Guide URL

      The audio guide contains the following tracks:

      1. Introduction to access resources
      2. Curator Janice Li introduces ‘The Cult of Beauty’ exhibition
      3. Historian Jennifer M. Rampling on the Ripley Scroll
      4. Professor Caroline Vout on the Esquiline Venus and Sleeping Hermaphroditus
      5. Writer Emma Dabiri discusses ‘The Game of Goose’
      6. Writer Emma Dabiri on ‘Racialised whiteness’
      7. Curator Janice Li on An Algorithmic Gaze II by Cecilie Waagner Falkenstrøm and the ARTificial Mind studio
      8. Writer Emma Dabiri on the ‘Hairstyles’ series by photographer J.D. ‘Okhai Ojeikere
      9. Artist Xu Yang on her painting ‘Perhaps We are all Fictions in the Eye of the Beholder’
      10. Artist Kimberley Burrows and cosmetic scientist Gabriela Daniels discuss accessibility and beauty
      11. Curator Janice Li introduces the Beauty Sensorium
      12. Artist Eszter Magyar (Makeupbrutalism) on her commission 'It makes no sense to be beautiful if no one is ugly'
      13. Artist Shirin Fathi on her work The Disobedient Nose
      14. Curator E-J Scott on the Museum of Transology
      15. Curator Janice Li introduces the film ‘Permissible Beauty’
      16. Curator Janice Li introduces the sculpture ‘(Almost) all of my dead mother’s beautiful things’ by the artist Narcissister
      17. Curator Janice Li introduces the installation ‘Mirror, mirror on the wall, Beauty unravelled in the virtual scroll’ by Xcessive Aesthetics


    • Naomi Wolf (1991) Chapter 1: The Beauty Myth File
      766.5 KB
    • Wellcome Collection, The Cult of Beauty : Captions and transcripts URL
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    Module Description

    Welcome to POL361: Gender and Politics.  This course looks at the theory and practice of gender and politics.  It considers the development of feminist theory through the gender/sex distinction, intersectionality theory, the politics of sex, power, production and reproduction under capitalism, theories of representation in politics and political violence.  The course pays particular attention to the intersections of gender, sexuality and race by exploring how these play out in contemporary politics and through a case study (Afghanistan). Students will be exposed to scholarship from a range of disciplinary subjects and build an appreciation of how these debates inform the way we think about political subjectivity and political activism.


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    Module schedule and teaching arrangements

    • SCHEDULE

      WEEK

      DATE

      TOPIC

      1

      25-26 Jan

      26 Jan

      Seminar - Introduction

      Lecture - What is gender? (topic 1)

      2

      1-2 Feb

      2 Feb

      Seminar - What is gender? (topic 1) 

      Lecture - Rethinking Sex and Gender (topic 2)

      3 

      8-9 Feb

      9 Feb

      Seminar - Rethinking Sex and Gender (topic 2) / Exhibition 'The Cult of Beauty' 

      Lecture - Intersectionality: Uses and Abuses (topic 3)

      4

      15-16 Feb

      16 Feb

      Seminar - Intersectionality: Uses and Abuses (topic 3)

      Lecture - The Politics of Sex (topic 4)

      5

      21 Feb

      22-23 Feb

      23 Feb

      Coursework deadline - Literature Review I

      Seminar - The Politics of Sex (topic 4)

      Lecture - Empire and Decolonial Feminism (topic 5)

      6

      29 Feb-1 Mar

      1 Mar

      Seminar - Empire and Decolonial Feminism (topic 5)

      Lecture - Gender and Politics: The case of Afghanistan (topic 6)

      7

      Reading Week

      No classes (4-10 Mar)

      8

      14-15 Mar

      15 Mar

      Seminar - Gender and Politics: The case of Afghanistan (topic 6)

      Lecture - Production and Reproduction (topic 7)

      9

      21-22 Mar

      22 Mar

      Seminar - Production and Reproduction (topic 7)

      Lecture - Representation (topic 8)

      10

      25 Mar

      28 Mar

      29 Mar

      Coursework deadline - Literature Review II

      Seminars / Visit Exhibition (title TBC) at South London Gallery

      Easter - Bank Holiday / No seminars and no lecture

      11

      4-5 Apr

      5 Apr

      Seminar - Representation (topic 9)

      Lecture - Violence (topic 10)

      12


      14

      11-12 Apr

      12 Apr

      23 Apr

      Seminar - Violence (topic 10)

      Lecture - Old/New Challenges in Gender and Politics (topic 11)

      Final coursework deadline - Essay

    • TEACHING ARRANGEMENTS

      This course will be delivered using a combination of lectures and seminars. Please read all the information below very carefully.

      The course has ten topics, outlined in the relevant topic section under the "module content" tab.  Each week a new topic will be introduced in the lecture, and then discussed in the following week's seminar.  This ensures that you have enough time to read and prepare for each seminar after the lecture.  This means that seminars each week will relate to the topic covered in the previous week's lecture.  It also means that the first seminar will be an introductory session.  Readings are listed by topic in the "module content" tab.  Please check the schedule above carefully each week to ensure that you know which topic to expect in each lecture and seminar and are prepared for the correct topic in the seminar.


      LECTURES

      All lectures will be delivered in-person.  Each lecture will be recorded and made available to those unable to attend for any reason.  The slides will be made available shortly in advance of the lecture on QMPlus, and the lecture recording will be available afterwards.


      SEMINARS

      You will find clear instructions on how to prepare for the seminar and a rough outline of seminar discussions under the Seminar Preparation tab. In order to be successful in this module, please ensure you devote at least 6-7 hours in total to the course (this include lecture and seminar attendance). The seminar discussions are designed to work even if you have only managed to prepare the core readings. However, I strongly encourage you to make use of the additional reading list to make the most out of your studies. The supplementary reading list is designed to help you with research and essay writing, but it is by no means meant to be exhaustive.


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    Teaching Team

    TEACHING TEAM

    Dr Alaya Forte is the module convenor.  She will deliver the lectures and lead four seminar groups on Fridays. She is your first port of call for general queries about the course organisation, structure and content.  Her Advice and Feedback hours are on Mondays 11:30am-12:30pm (on campus or online via Teams) and Wednesdays 10:30-11:30am (on campus or online via Teams).  You can email in advance to book an appointment. The address is as follows: a.forte@qmul.ac.uk.  Alaya's office is located in the ArtsOne building, Room 2.22.

    Meena Masood and Dr Miranda Armstrong will lead five seminar groups on Thursdays and Fridays.  They will also mark some of the coursework and  give guidance on the assessments prior to submission and feedback afterwards.  These are their Advice and Feedback hour are as follows: 

    • Meena Masood: Thursdays from 2pm to 3pm
    • Dr Miranda Armstrong: Fridays from 1pm to 2pm

    Advice and Feedback hours will take place in Room 2.22, ArtsOne building.

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    Module Aims and Learning Outcomes

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    Topic 1 - Introduction: What is Gender?

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    Topic 2 - Rethinking Sex and Gender

    • TOPIC 2 - Overview                                                                                                                            
      Lecture: 2 February (week 2)
      Seminar: 8-9 February (week 3)

      Zanele Muholi's black and white photograph, ID Crisis, shows a slim young woman standing in a gloomy room carefully wrapping bandages around her breasts in an attempt to disguise her anatomy, as light streams in from an adjacent window.

      Zanele Muholi, ID Crisis (2003). Photograph, gelatin silver print on paper. You can read more about this image here. For an interview with Zanele Muholi, find the link here.

      In this week's lecture we consider how the sex-gender distinction has been critiqued and explore the politics of mobilising as a trans person. By the end of this topic, you should be able to:

      • Explain how the distinction between sex (biological nature) and gender (social construct) can be troubled
      • Outline Butler’s critique of the sex-gender distinction, defining concepts such as performativity and citationality
      • Identify the close relationship that exists between sex and the body, and how the conceptualisation of sex as the embodiment of the norm shapes understandings of and possibilities for resistance outside the law – specifically with reference to trans* politics

    • Lecture Slides Topic 2 File

      These are the powerpoint slides for the lecture on topic 2 - Rethinking Sex and Gender

      7.8 MB
    • POL361 About the exhibition The Cult of Beauty and your visit File
      46.9 KB

    • TOPIC 2 - Seminar Preparation                                                                                                   


                                      Detail from the work 'It makes no sense to be beautiful if no one is ugly' by Eszter Magyar (Makeupbrutalism)

      Detail from Makeupbrutalism (Eszter Magyar), It makes no sense to be beautiful if no one is ugly (2023). Multi-media collage, sculptural objects. 

      The wall text for this work describes it as follows, "As Makeupbrutalism, former make-up artist Eszter Magyar began sharing provocative content "mixing social criticism with human aesthetics" on social media in 2018. This installation is a montage of her practice straddling cosmetics and artistic mediums. She categorises her close-up editorial photographs as "social commentary" and her diagrams as "pseudo-science". [...] Magyar prompts her viewers to question their beliefs, to confront their raw selves beneath social pressure and to peel back the layers of the beauty industry."  You can listen to the artist discuss her commission for the Wellcome Collection here.


      On 8 and 9 February, seminars for Gender and Politics will take place off campus.

      We will be visiting the exhibition The Cult of Beauty, currently on display at the Wellcome Collection.

      About the visit

      You are recommended to attend your allocated seminar group. However, if the commuting time to/from the exhibition venue interferes with any other lectures/seminars you may need to attend on that day, you are welcome to join any other group. If you are unsure about what other slots are available, please email me at a.forte@qmul.ac.uk.

      Please read this if you are enrolled on the Friday seminar at 2pm. Because the lecture is held on campus at 3pm, there won't be enough time for us to get back to QMUL on time. For this reason, feel free to join any other of the other available slots on Thursday, 8 February (3pm/4pm/5pm) or Friday, 9 February (10am/11am/12pm).

      Please note that the first assignment for this module, due on 21 February, requires you to have seen this exhibition. Email the module convenor if you think it will be impossible for you to make alternative arrangements. However, if you wish to visit/revisit the exhibition in your own time, The Cult of Beauty will be running until Sunday, 28 April 2024.

      At the start of the “seminar”, I will meet you at the entrance of the Wellcome Collection. I will say a few introductory words before leaving you the space and time to visit the exhibition. We will reconvene as a group at the exit for a discussion, inspired by the lecture and readings for the topic Introduction: What is Gender?  

      Google map indicating where the Wellcome Collection can be found

      How to get to the venue

      If you are travelling from QMUL campus, I recommend the following option: Hammersmith & City line from Stepney Green station. Get off at Euston Square (about three minutes' walk away). 

      Other stations close to the Wellcome Collection are Euston, Warren Street, St Pancras and King’s Cross. You'll find detailed directions here.

      Photo of the Wellcome Collection building

      You have arrived!

      It will take you approximately 35/40 minutes to get to the venue from QMUL but allow extra time.

      Where we are meeting

      Enter the Wellcome Collection building, and we will see you at the entrance of the exhibition, which is located to your left (next to the reception). 

      This is where Meena, Miranda and I will be meeting you at the start of the seminar (3pm/4pm/5pm on Thursday and 10am/11am/12pm on Friday). The exhibition is free, but please note no food or drink is allowed inside the area. I should also make you aware that the exhibition includes depictions of nudity, images of surgery and human tissue. It also contains racist and misogynist materials.


      Preparation for the seminar

      1) Attend and take notes on the lecture. 

      2) Read and take notes on the following core reading:

      • Judith Butler (1993) Bodies That Matter. On the Discursive Limits of ‘Sex’. New York: Routledge. Please read the Preface (pp. ix-xii), Introduction (only pp. 1-16) and the section “Gender Perfomativity and Drag” in Chapter 8, “Critically Queer” (pp. 230-233). Available as an e-book via QMUL Library.

      Please choose ONE of following two texts:

      • Arianne Shahvisi (2022) What’s the difference? London Review of Books 44(17).

      • Kit Heyam (2022) "Introduction. 'I had a gown on in a lark': what is trans history?", in Before we were trans: a new history of gender. London: Basic Books, pp. 1-28.


      N.B. In Bodies that Matter (1993), Judith Butler presents a certain understanding of the notion of sex/gender and a critique of this understanding. The text is not easy to read, but do not give up and try to understand what is going on. You may want to use the following questions to guide you:

      • What is the understanding of sex and gender that Butler criticizes? 
      • What is Butler's critique? 
      • Why is it important for Butler to present this critique? 


      3) Watch “Impossibility Now”, the trans* politics manifesto by Dean Spade. Understanding Spade's arguments will be useful for the seminar's final plenary discussion. See link at the bottom of this section.

      4 ) Finally, feel free to also read and take notes on the following additional reading for the topic:


      Questions to prepare ahead of Q&A (online) on Friday 9 February @ 2pm - Link TBC 

      1) Explore Judith Butler’s critique of the sex/gender distinction. Use the following three questions to guide you after the reading:

        • What is the understanding of sex and gender that Butler criticizes? 
        • What is Butler's critique and why is it important for her to make it? 
        • How does the text by Shahvisi/Heyam help us better understand Butler's critique?
      Feel free to highlight any passage of difficult comprehension.

    • Dora Silva Santana (2019) Mais Viva! Reassembling Transness, Blackness, and Feminism File
      147.8 KB
    • Impossibility Now, a video and slideshow by Dean Spade URL

      “Impossibility Now” is a trans* politics manifesto by Dean Spade. This video was created for the February 2013 conference “Gender Talents: A Special Address,” which asked invited speakers to perform a manifesto. The video takes themes from Dean’s book, Normal Life, and illustrates them with images. Dean teamed up with filmmaker Basil Shadid to shoot and edit the film, and further edited with Hope Dector at the Barnard Center for Research on Women.


    • TOPIC 2 - Supplementary Reading 


      Michel Foucault (1976; 1998) The History of Sexuality Volume 1. The will to knowledge. London: Penguin Books. Print book available at QMUL Library.

      Thomas Laqueur (1990) Making sex: body and gender from the Greeks to Freud. Harvard University Press.

      bell hooks (1992) "Is Paris Burning?," in Black looks: Race and representation, pp. 145-56.

      Ann Fausto-Sterling (2000) Sexing the Body. Gender politics and the construction of sexuality. New York: Basic Books. Print book available at QMUL Library.

      Susan Stryker and Stephen Whittle (2006) The Transgender Studies Reader. New York: Routledge.

      Dean Spade (2006) "Mutilating Gender," in Susan Stryker and Stephen Whittle (Eds.) The Transgender Studies Reader. New York: Routledge, pp. 698-705. 

      Susan Stryker (2008) Transgender History. Berkeley: Seal Press.

      Jin Haritaworn (2008) Shifting Positionalities: Empirical Reflections on a Queer/Trans of Colour Methodology. Sociological Research Online 13(1).

      Afsaneh Najmabadi (2008) Transing and transpassing across sex-gender walls in Iran. Women's Studies Quarterly 36 (3/4), pp. 23-42. 

      Sharful Islam Khan, Mohammed Iftekher Hussain, Shaila Parveen, Mahbubul Islam Bhuiyan, Gorkey Gourab, Golam Faruk Sarker, Shohael Mahmud Arafat, and Joya Sikder (2009) Living on the extreme margin: social exclusion of the transgender population (hijra) in Bangladesh. Journal of health, population, and nutrition 27(4), pp. 441-451. 

      Afsaneh Najmabadi (2014) Professing Selves. Transsexuality and Same-Sex Desire in Contemporary Iran. Durham and London: Duke University Press.

      Jaqueline Rose (2016) Who do you think you are? London Review of Books 38(9). (including the letters and responses that follow it).

      Cameron Awkward-Rich (2017) Trans, Feminism: Or, Reading like a Depressed Transsexual. Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society 42(4), pp. 819-841.

      Kai M. Green and Marquis Bey (2017) Where Black Feminist Thought and Trans*Feminism Meet: A Conversation. Souls 19(4), pp. 438-454.

      Paul B. Preciado (2017) Trashgender: Urinate/Defecate Masculine/Feminine. The Funambulist 13.

      Sally Hines (2019) The feminist frontier: on trans and feminism. Journal of Gender Studies 28(2), pp. 145-157.

      Alyosxa Tudor (2019) Im/possibilities of refusing and choosing gender. Feminist Theory 20(4), pp. 361-380.

      Kit Heyam (2022) Before we were trans: a new history of gender. London: Basic Books. Print book available at QMUL Library.



    • EHRC What is gender reassignment discrimination? URL

      What is gender reassignment discrimination? | Equality law: discrimination explained

      Equality and Human Rights Commission

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    Topic 3 - Intersectionality: Uses and Abuses

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    Topic 4 - The Politics of Sex

    •  TOPIC 4 - Overview                                                                                                        

      Lecture: 16 February (week 4)
      Seminar: 22-23 February (week 5)



      Tobi Adebajo, Triptych (2020). This work featured in the 2022 ICA exhibition "Decriminalised Futures", which explored sex worker lives, experiences and movement struggles. You can read more about this exhibition here and here.

      In this week's lecture we explore how sex – “the thing we do with our sexed bodies” (Srinivasan 2021, xii) – is political. We focus on the sex industry to understand feminist debates on the objectification and commodification of bodies in pornography and sex work, with particular attention to argument for sex workers' rights. Finally, we consider Amia Srinivasan's arguments in The Right to Sex (2021) to help us complicate the notion of "sexual liberation" and reflect on the "politics of desire". By the end of this topic, you should be able to:

      • Identify key debates centred on sex and sexuality in gender and politics
      • Explain the way sex and desire can be understood as an articulation of power
      • Assess feminist arguments for and against pornography and sex work

    • Amia Srinivasan - Preface / Student Handout File
      995.0 KB
    • Lectures Slides Topic 4 File

      These are the powerpoint slides for the lecture on topic 4 - The Politics of Sex

      19.2 MB

    • TOPIC 4 - Seminar Preparation                                                                                                     

      Preparation for the seminar

      1) Attend and take notes on the lecture. 

      2) Watch the video "5 years after #MeToo, here’s why it’s still hard to come forward", recently published by the Washington Post. You will find the link at the bottom of this section. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the movement? You may also inform some of your conclusions by reflecting on your own experiences and the impact the #MeToo movement has had (or not) on your life. Make notes and bring these to class for discussion.

      3) Read and take notes on the following core reading:

      4) Finally, feel free to also read and take notes on the following additional reading for the topic:


      Seminar discussion (Alaya's seminars)

      1) Based on the videos you had to watch in preparation for the seminar and Crenshaw's article, assess the strengths and weaknesses of the #MeToo movement. What are the structural issues that need addressing? 

      2) In the first paragraph of her chapter  “Women Selling Sex" (2022), Elena Zambelli declares:

      "When I approached the association that I would eventually volunteer for in their street sex working women’s outreach service, I was fresh from my readings on the Western feminists’ ‘sex wars’. Against the radical feminist and abolitionist position that women in prostitution are structurally victims of sexual violence and exploitation (see e.g. Dworkin 1993; Farley 2004; MacKinnon 2011; Bindel 2017), I aligned with sex workers and sex radical feminists’ position that adults who consensually sell sex are agentic subjects, albeit from within constraining conditions not of their choosing (see e.g. Chapkis 1997; Kempadoo and Doezema 1998; Doezema 2001; Agustín 2007; Weitzer 2010; Kotiswaran 2011; Grant 2014; Smith and Mac 2018). Nevertheless, my engagement with this debate was exclusively theoretical, and in hindsight, I had to accept that, unexpectedly (to me), my position at that time was quite liberal and contractarian. I used to overemphasize individual agency over structures, and as a result, I could not reconcile my notion of ‘choice’ with the compellingly hard material constraints under which most people sell sex for a living (Smith and Mac 2018). However, once I got into the field, I could not help but develop a more grounded and nuanced synthesis of these positions."

      In small groups, discuss in what ways Zambelli's ethnographic account of women selling sex develops "a more grounded and nuanced synthesis of these positions." What does the author mean when she says she "used to overemphasize individual agency over structures?". What is your position and how would you justify it?

      3) Based on your reading and understanding of Amia Srinivasan's "The Right to Sex", how would you explain the politics of desire? What is your assessment of Srinivasan's arguments?

    • Elaine Blair - Questioning Desire File
      3.6 MB
    • Zambelli - Women Selling Sex File
      299.9 KB
    • Srinivasan - The Right to Sex File
      108.4 KB
    • Surviving R. Kelly: The Impact - The Conversation Continues URL

      Candice Norcott, PHD, a licensed clinical psychologist and Farah Tanis, the Executive Director of Black Women's Blueprint, discuss both the impact of the "Surviving R. Kelly" docu-series and the opportunities to effect change moving forward.

    • 5 years after #MeToo, here’s why it’s still hard to come forward URL

      Washington Post, 2022.

    • 'Walls of silence built over centuries against women came tumbling down URL

      France 24 English, 2022. In-depth perspective and analysis of the #MeToo movement provided by Dr. Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, Lawyer, Women's Rights Activist and Author of "This is Why I Resist."


    • Podcast. Amia Srinivasan and Alice Spawls discuss The Right to Sex URL
    • Juno Mac - What do sex workers want? URL
    • On the Road: living and working on the Italian 'road of love' URL

      Documentary commissioned by the Guardian in 2017.

      Hundreds of women operate as sex workers along the Strada Bonifica, the ironically named ‘road of love’ on the Adriatic coast of Italy. There has been a huge increase in the number of Nigerian women working along the 10-mile stretch of road – some of whom have been trafficked into the country and forced into prostitution. The film moves between the women’s stories, the Italians who live and work there and the local NGO, named On the Road, attempting to support the women.

    • TOPIC 4 - Supplementary Reading 


      Catherine A. MacKinnon (1989) Toward a Feminist Theory of the State. Cambridge and London: Harvard University Press. Print book available at QMUL Library.

      Larry Baron (1990) Pornography and Gender Equality: An Empirical Analysis. The Journal of Sex Research27(3), pp. 363-380.

      Naomi Wolf (1991) Beauty Myth: How Images of Beauty are Used Against Women. Vintage. Print book available at QMUL Library.

      Christine Overall (1992) What's wrong with prostitution? Evaluating sex work. Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society 17(4), pp. 705-724.

      Valerie Bryson (1999) “Pornography,” in Feminist Debates: Issues of Theory and Political Practice. Baskingstoke and New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Print book available at QMUL Library.

      Karen Boyle (2002) The Pornography Debates: Beyond Cause and Effect. Women’s Studies International Forum 23(2), pp. 187-195.

      Karen Ciclitira (2004) Pornography, Women and Feminism: Between Pleasure and Politics. Sexualities 7(3), pp. 281–301.

      Joyce Outshoorn (2005) Political Debates on Prostitution and Sex Trafficking of Women. Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State & Society 12(1), pp. 141–155.

      Laura María Agustín (2007). Sex at the Margins: Migration, Labour Markets and the Rescue Industry. London: Zed. Print book available at QMUL Library.

      Natasha Walter (2010), “Pole-dancers and prostitutes” and “Pornography,” in The Living Dolls: The Return of Sexism. London: Virago. Print book available at QMUL Library.

      Catharine A. MacKinnon (2011) Trafficking, Prostitution and Inequality. Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review 46(271), pp. 271–309.

      Cynthia Enloe (2014) “Lady Travelers, Beauty Queens, Stewardesses, and Chambermaids. The International Gendered Politics of Tourism” and “Base Women,” in Bananas, Beaches and Bases: Making Feminist Sense of International Politics. University of California Press, pp. 37-82 and 125-173. 

      Rainbow Murray (2017) Westminster harassment: this is not just about sex, it’s about power. The Conversation.

      Molly Smith and Juno Mac (2018) Revolting Prostitutes: The fight for sex workers' rights. London: Verso Books.

      Mona Lena Krook (2018) Westminster Too: On Sexual Harassment in British Politics. Political Quarterly 89(10), pp. 65-72.

      Kaitlynn Mendes, Jessica Ringrose and Jessalynn Keller (2018) #MeToo and the Promise and Pitfalls of Challenging Rape Culture through Digital Feminist Activism. European Journal of Women’s Studies 25(2), pp. 236-246.

      Leah Culhane (2019) Sexual Harassment in Parliament. Protecting MPs, Peers, volunteers and staff. The Fawcett Society Report.

      Katherine Angel (2021) Tomorrow Sex Will Be Good Again. Women and Desire in the Age of Consent. London: Verso Books. You can also read an excerpt of Katherine Angel’s book here: Why we need to take bad sex more seriously, The Guardian.


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    Topic 5 - From Empire to Decolonial Feminism



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    Topic 6 - Gender and Politics: The case of Afghanistan


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    Topic 7 - Production and Reproduction

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    Assessment

    • POL361 AS1 Guidelines 23-24 File
      6.5 MB
    • Do you have any questions about the core readings for Topics 1, 2 or 3? URL

      Are you preparing for the assignment and have realised you need a concept/argument clarifying? Use Flip to post any question you may have on the core readings for Topics 1, 2 and 3. N.B. Link available until the end of Monday, 19 February.

    • ASSESSMENT DETAILS

      There are three forms of assessment for this module: two written reviews (each 15% of the overall grade) and a written essay (70% of the overall grade).  There will NOT be an exam at the end of the module.  However, as you will see below, success in assessments requires continued engagement with all the themes of the module.

      ASSESSMENT 1: Exhibition Review (15%)

      Deadline: Wednesday, 21 February 2024, at 1pm

      Read instructions carefully.

      To prepare for this assignment, you must:

      • Visit the exhibition The Cult of Beauty at the Wellcome Museum. Visits will take place during seminars in Week 3 (Thursday 8 and Friday 9 February).
      • Ensure you have read core texts for Topics 1, 2 and 3.
      • Refer to additional readings/videos on the topic, listed under the tab “The Cult of Beauty”, and/or listen to relevant sections of the exhibition audio guide.

      Select one of the works in the exhibition and write a short review (max. 500 words).

      Your exhibition review should include the following:

      • Introduce the artwork and artist.
      • Reflect on the reasons you were particularly drawn to this work.
      • Explain what the work reveals about beauty and how this relates to debates in Gender and Politics.
      • Evaluate where possible the strengths and/or weaknesses of the work.
      • Include a photo of the work in your submission.
      • Reference at least ONE text from the core/additional/supplementary reading list (“The Cult of Beauty” and Topics 1, 2 and 3)

      You are also welcome to use the exhibition material online with appropriate referencing.

      This assignment may sound deceptively easy, but this is not the case. To do well in this assignment, you must reflect on the topics and carefully consider the relationship between the work you have chosen and the Gender and Politics module.

      N.B. If you are unable to take part in the class visit, and cannot reschedule a visit before the deadline, please email the module convenor (a.forte@qmul.ac.uk) to discuss an alternative solution. 

      ASSESSMENT 2: Article Review (15%)

      Deadline: Monday, 25 March 2024, at 1pm

      Read instructions carefully.

      Select ONE core/supplementary text from the Topics covered from Week 4 to Week 8 (i.e. from Topic 4, The Politics of Sex, to topic 7, Production and Reproduction). Write an article review (max. 500. words).

      THIS IS NOT A SUMMARY. YOU MUST CRITICALLY ENGAGE WITH THE PIECE AND HOW IT ADVANCES OUR UNDERSTANDING OF GENDER AND TOPIC.

      The article review should include the following:

      • Briefly summarise the argument(s) of the text.
      • Explain how the argument(s) of the text relates to perspectives/ debates in Gender and Politics.
      • Evaluate where possible the strengths and/or weaknesses of the text.
      • Conclude by providing a brief discussion of the overall contribution of the text to our understanding of the topic.

      You are encouraged to bring in other texts from the module reading list, where relevant, and to offer a comparison, expand or challenge a point raised or justify any claims made. Remember, however, that the focus should remain on the one text under review.

      Consider the following questions when writing your review:

      1. How does the text you are reviewing relate to other ideas that you have read or come across?
      2. How comprehensive / partial is the information provided in the text?  What else would you need to know to have a full appreciation of the subject matter?
      3. Is the content located within a particular school of thought or ideological positioning? Could you locate it within a debate? Are there other views presented elsewhere that support or counter the views stated in your text?
      4. Does the text provide empirical evidence to support its claims or are they based on theory and argument? How persuasive are they?
      5. What are the core insights of the text and, if relevant, how do they complement/ contradict the insights from other reading(s) you have encountered in your studies?
      6. What are the relative strengths and/or limitations of the text?


      Advice to all students

      It is not necessary (or recommended) to provide full bibliographical details within the main text of the review - simply use in-text references (author surname, date) and leave the remaining details (author's full name, title of the work, publication details, etc.) for the bibliography.  This will help you to remain within the word count.

      Marking criteria:

      1. The review should provide a clear, effective summary of the core themes of the reading under review/your understanding of gender and politics. As there is a strict word limit, this requires you to be able to identify the most important insights without getting mired in detail.
      2. The review should provide an evaluation of the text. You should be able to identify the contribution that the text has made to the debate, as well as evaluating the relative merits and limitations.
      3. The assignment should demonstrate the overall contribution that the text has made to our broader understanding of the topic.
      4. The assignment should be well-structured, with a brief but clear introduction to the topic, a logical discussion of the text, and then a brief conclusion identifying the overall contribution to our broader understanding of the topic.
      5. As with other coursework, provide a bibliography listing the works that you have read for the review. This will not count towards the 500-word limit but will count towards the mark so make sure that it is accurate and formatted correctly. You should also ensure that your work is neatly presented, and proofread carefully for accuracy, legibility, and typos.


      ASSESSMENT 3: Essay (70%)

      Deadline: Tuesday, 23 April 2024, at 1pm

      Essays must relate theoretical perspectives and arguments to empirical cases/ examples. The third assignment can be on any topic other than the topic covered in the second assessment.

      Below are some suggested essay questions. I encourage you, however, to consider choosing your own topic based on discipline/area/topic of interest. This will allow you to focus on theories and cases you are interested in and knowledgeable about, making the research and writing process an experience you want to engage with (rather than an obligation). If you prefer to respond to an alternative question, please note that this will need to be discussed and approved by me (Alaya) prior to submission. 

      Please also note that the essay should not exceed 2000 words including footnotes (excluding bibliography). Information on and advice about essay writing and referencing can be found in the Coursework Formatting and Reference Guide.

      Essay Questions

      1. Is feminism relevant today? Choose a past or current feminist campaign (or movement or political party) to develop your argument. [Listed below are some examples, but you are encouraged to pick your own. Please discuss this in advance with your tutor/module convenor, in person or by email].


      2. Why is it essential to think of race in gender and politics? Discuss, using at least ONE past or contemporary example.

      3. Gender is a fundamental aspect of political representation. Discuss, giving at least ONE example to support your argument.

      4. Using at least ONE contemporary example, discuss the current “backlash” against women’s rights/trans rights/the rights of LGBTQIA+ communities. [For example, you could look at the way the populist radical right (PRR) is gaining ground in Europe/UK (focus on one or two countries max.); or how reproductive rights are being curtailed in the US (or other countries)].

      5. What can we learn about gender and politics from historical and/or current events in Afghanistan? Discuss, giving at least ONE example to support your argument.

      6. Why is it important to “gender” the economy? Discuss, giving at least ONE example to support your argument.

      7. How have feminists approached violence? And what lessons are still relevant today? Discuss, using at least ONE example to support and elaborate your argument.

      Important writing instructions:

      • Use at least three readings from the course (core/additional/supplementary). You should also demonstrate you have done independent research and are encouraged to incorporate other sources in to your essay (you can also use the additional/supplementary reading list, if relevant).
      • Citations should be in-text (using Harvard style) and a bibliography included at the end. Remember to include the SPIR UG coversheet and follow notes on coursework submission. 
      • You've been asked to use one example, but make sure you connect the module material to the example. You can obviously rely on what has already been written on the chosen case (if there are academic sources available), but you can also provide an original analysis.
      • You can disagree with and challenge the material covered, but your arguments must always be supported by evidence or through the literature.
      • Make sure your writing and research is academic in style and presentation. In this module, you are welcome to write in the first person and link your argument to your own lived experiences/positionality.

      Now, what I am about to say is extremely important: make sure you have a clear argument/thesis statement/claim. State this in the introduction and use the essay to develop your argument and draw conclusions. The questions are very broad, so this is going to be important to narrow the focus and engage critically with the topic/material.

      Associate Students

      Associate students are assessed in the same way as home students. If you know in advance that you will not be able to submit on 23rd April, then you should submit your assignment early. 

      Submission of coursework

      You must submit your assignment via QMPlus by 1 pm on the day of the stated deadline. It will be screened by anti-plagiarism software and marked online. You will receive notification when marks and feedback are released.

      The School has a policy of anonymous marking. Your name must not appear anywhere on your work. Therefore, you must ensure that you use the coursework coversheet as the first page of your assignment. Coversheets can be downloaded from the Undergraduate Shared area of QMPlus. It is your responsibility to submit your assignments correctly.

      Full details of submission policies can be found in the Student Handbook.

      Extensions

      If you require an extension due to extenuating circumstances (EC), you must complete the relevant EC form and attach documentation to support your request. Full details can be found in the 2023-24 Student Handbook.

      Feedback

      All assignments receive written individualised feedback, as well as provisional grades. Students will also have the opportunity to discuss feedback on Assignment 1 and 2 in good time to feed into planning for Assignment 3 (essay). General feedback on issues arising out of marking Assignment 1 and 2 will be given collectively in the seminars and via QM+. All students will also be given the opportunity to discuss their plans for Assignment 3 in Weeks 11 and 12 of the semester with their seminar tutor and to receive feedback on their initial ideas. Students will also receive ongoing feedback through interaction with tutors in seminar discussion and in individual meetings.


    • POL361 23/24 Assignment 1 Due 21 February
    • POL361 23/24 Assignment 2 Literature Review Due 25 March
    • POL361 23/24 Assignment 003 Report Due 23 April
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    Hints and Tips

    • The links and information in this section provide students with help on using QMplus and help with submitting your assignments. 

    • How to submit assignments Page
    • Convert Word to PDF URL

      If it is expected that students will submit a PDF, include a link such as this, or instructions on how to do it.

    • QMplus Help for Students URL

      This link has information to help students to get the best out of QMplus - with helpful guides and videos...

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    Where to get help

    Highlighted

    • There may be times when you struggle with a particular task or topic, or when external factors (especially during these challenging times) impact upon your studies. When this happens, please don't struggle alone - let me know and I will do my best to support you. The best way of contacting me is via email (a.forte@qmul.ac.uk) or by booking an appointment to see me during my advice and feedback hours (Mondays 11:30am-12:30pm; Wednesdays 10:30am-11:30am). You can also post questions about course content in the forum.

      For IT problems, including difficulty accessing lecture recordings, email the IT helpdesk: helpdesk@qmul.ac.uk or call 020 7882 8888.

      For personal problems that are affecting your ability to study, contact your Advisor or SPIR's student support officer, Bronwyn Murphy (b.murphy@qmul.ac.uk).

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    Topic 8 - Representation



    • TOPIC 8 - Overview                                                                                                                             

      Lecture: 22 March (week 9)
      Seminar: 4-5 April (week 11)


      U.S. Representatives Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Ilhan Abdullahi Omar (D-MN), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) hold a press conference. (Getty Images)


      In this week's lecture we consider the relationship between who our politicians are and what they do.  We explore the relationship between descriptive, substantive and symbolic representation and the ways in which each of these is compromised by gender imbalances.  We also consider what constitute "women's interests".  These concepts are all key to understanding the representational consequences of gender imbalances in politics. By the end of the topic, you should be able to:

      • Explain the relationship between representation and gender
      • Consider questions about presence and interests

    • Lecture Slides Topic 8 File

      These are the powerpoint slides for the lecture on topic 8 - Representation

      14.0 MB
    • Women in Politics 2023 Map - UN Women and UPU File
      191.4 KB

    • TOPIC 8 - Seminar Preparation                                                                                                    

      Preparation for the seminar

      1) Attend and take notes on the lecture. 

      2) Read and take notes on the following core readings:

      3 ) Finally, feel free to also read and take notes on the following additional reading for the topic:

      Seminar discussion

      1) General discussion (in pairs and then as a plenary). What is your assessment of representation in politics, from a gender perspective? Think of a specific case and try to explain what you mean when you use the term representation. 

      What are some of the issues we have identified?

      2) In groups, answer the following questions drawing from this week's core readings (Mansbridge and Puwar).

      • How relevant are people’s socio-demographic backgrounds to their representative functions? 
      • What are the costs and benefits of descriptive representation?

      Seminar discussions (Alaya's groups only)

      1) Define the following terms and give an example for each of these: 

      • Representation
      • Political representation
      • Descriptive representation
      • Substantive representation
      • Symbolic representation


      2) What the following video of Dawn Butler MP (Labour) calling for 'decolonisation' of the national curriculum in a Black History Month debate (20 October 2020) and her exchange with Kemi Badenoch MP (Conservative, here acting as a spokesperson for government).



      • Whose interest are being represented?
      • To what extend does this support the argument made by Jane Mansbrige for a "contingent yes" to descriptive representation?
      • Consider the points raised by Nirmal Puwar in her article "Thinking of Making a Difference": what can we say about the space and the way that representation is performed?

      For the Hansard transcript of the entire debate, click here. 


    • TOPIC 8 - Supplementary Reading

      Hanna Pitkin (1967) The Concept of Representation. University of California Press. Print book available at QMUL Library.

      Irene Diamond and Nancy Hartsock (1981) Beyond Interests in Politics: A comment on Virginia Sapiro’s ‘When are Interests Interesting?’ American Political Science Review 75(3), pp. 717-2.

      Drude Dahlerup (1988) From a small to a large majority: Women in Scandinavian politics, Scandinavian Political Studies 11(4), pp. 275-298.

      Anne Phillips (1991) Engendering Democracy. Cambridge: Polity Press. Print book at QMUL Library.

      Anne Phillips (1995) The Politics of Presence. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

      Judith Squires (1999) “Representation,” in Gender in Political Theory. Cambridge: Polity Press. Print copy available at QMUL Library.

      Suzanne Dovi (2002) Preferable Descriptive Representatives: Will Just Any Woman, Black, or Latino Do? American Political Science Review 96(4), pp. 729-743.

      Pamela Paxton (2003) Women’s Political Representation: The Importance of Ideology. Social Forces 82 (1), pp.87-113.

      Robert Goodin (2004) Representing Diversity. British Journal of Political Science 34, pp. 453-469.

      Jennifer L. Lawless (2004) Politics of Presence? Congresswomen and Symbolic Representation. Political Research Quarterly 57(1): 81-99.

      Michael A. Messner (2004) On Patriarchs and Losers: Rethinking Men's Interests. Berkeley Journal of Sociology 48, pp. 74-88.

      Nirmal Puwar (2004) Space Invaders: Race, Gender and Bodies Out of Place. Oxford: Berg. 

      Wendy Stokes (2005) Women in Contemporary Politics. Cambridge: Polity Press. Print copy available at QMUL Library.

      Joni Lovenduski (2005) Feminizing Politics. Cambridge: Polity Press. Print copy available at QMUL Library.

      Leslie A. Schwindt-Bayer and William Mishler (2005) An integrated model of women's representation. The Journal of Politics 67(2), pp. 407-428. 

      Anne Stevens (2007) Women, Power and Politics. Palgrave Macmillan. Print copy available at QMUL Library.

      Suzanne Dovi (2007) Theorizing Women’s Representation in the United States, Politics and Gender 3(3), pp. 297-319.

      Karen Celis, Sarah Childs, Johanna Kantola, and Mona Lena Krook (2008) Rethinking Women’s Substantive Representation, Representation 44(2), pp. 99-110.

      Sarah Childs (2008) Women and British Party Politics: Descriptive, Substantive and Symbolic Representation. London: Routledge. 

      Mona Lena Krook and Sarah Childs (Eds.) (2010) Women, Gender and Politics: A Reader. Oxford University Press. Print copy available at QMUL Library.

      Jennifer M. Piscopo (2011) Rethinking Women’s Descriptive Representation: Rendering Women in Legislative Debates. Parliamentary Affairs 64(3), pp. 448-472.

      Karen Celis and Sarah Childs (2020) Feminist Democratic Representation. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

      Farah Hussain (2021) Inconvenient voices: Muslim women in the Labour Party. Renewal: A Journal of Social Democracy 29/1.


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    Topic 9 - Violence

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    Topic 10 - Old/New Challenges in Gender and Politics

    • TOPIC 10 - Overview                                                                                                         

      Lecture: 12 April (week 12)



      "Basta" (Enough!) reads this banner. Photo taken from the protests that took place in Italy last November following the murder of 22-year-old student Giulia Cecchettin. A report, published in 2021 by the European Institute for Gender Equality and based on 2018 data, placed Italy ninth out of 15 EU countries for the number of murders of women by partners or former partners and 10th for femicides committed by relatives.


      In this final lecture we apply a gender lens to current events shaping our world: the rise of illiberal politics, the backlash against a range of sexual and reproductive rights in Europe and the US and the urgent question of climate change. More importantly, we consider how bodies can resist and the politics of presence to inform present and future struggles.

    • Lecture Slides Topic 10 File
      14.5 MB
    • Avortement, les croisés contre-attaquent 1/2 URL

      This ARTE documentary from 2018 (unfortunately only available in French) explores the rise of the anti-abortion movement in Europe. Highly recommended.

      You can find the link to the second part of the documentary on the DailyMotion page.

    • Climate, Politics and Procreation / LRB podcast in four parts URL
       A four-part series exploring the intersection of climate chaos and reproductive justice, Meehan Crist talks to activist and feminist scholar Loretta J. Ross, evolutionary biologist and feminist science scholar Banu Subramaniam, historian Alison Bashford and feminist scholar Jade Sasser. Can't recommend it enough! Transcripts are also available.

    • TOPIC 10 - Supplementary Reading 

      Niels Spierings, Andrej Zaslove, Liza M. Mügge & Sarah L. de Lange (2015) Gender and populist radical-right politics: an introduction, Patterns of Prejudice, 49(1-2), pp. 3-15.

      Francesca Romana Ammaturo (2015) The ‘Pink Agenda’: Questioning and Challenging European Homonationalist Sexual Citizenship. Sociology, 49(6), pp. 1151-1166.

      Sophie Harman (2016) Ebola, gender and conspicuously invisible women in global health governance. Third World Quarterly 37(3), pp. 524-541.

      Roman Kuhar and David Paternotte (Eds.) (2017) Anti-gender campaigns in Europe: Mobilizing against equality. London: Rowman & Littlefield. 

      Sara R. Farris (2017) “Femonationalism Is No Populism,” in In the Name of Women’s Rights. The Rise of Femonationalism. Durham and London, Duke University Press, pp. 57-77. 

      David Paternotte and Roman Kuhar (2018) Disentangling and Locating the “Global Right”: Anti-Gender Campaigns in Europe. Politics and Governance 6(3), pp. 6-19. 

      Jennifer M. Piscopo and Denise M. Walsh (2020) Introduction: backlash and the future of feminism. Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society 45(2), pp. 265-78. 

      Awino Okech, David Mwambari & Funmi Olonisakin (2020) COVID-19 responses and human rights in selected African countries. Australian Journal of Human Rights, 26(3), pp. 549–555.

      Brittany Leach (2020) Whose Backlash, against Whom? Feminism and the American Pro-Life Movement's "Mother-Child Strategy. Signs: Journal of Women in Culture & Society 45(2), pp. 319-328. 

      Elena Caruso (2020) The Ambivalence of Law: some observations on the denial of access to abortion services in Italy. Feminist Review 124, pp. 183-191. 

      Sara Stevano, Alessandra Mezzadri, Lorena Lombardozzi and Hannah Bargawi (2021) Hidden Abodes in Plain Sight: the Social Reproduction of Households and Labor in the COVID-19 Pandemic. Feminist Economics 27(1-2), pp. 271-287.

      Agnieszka Graff and Elżbieta Korolczuk (2021) Anti-Gender Politics in the Populist Moment. London and New York: Routledge. 



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    Links

    Please find the links below.

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    Q-Review

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