Gender and Intersectionality from edX

Understanding how gender intersects with various cultural and social concepts is not only essential to understanding gender studies as a scientific discipline, it is also an important part of moving through and experiencing the world as a human being. Understanding gender and intersectionality can help us understand ourselves and the world and culture we live in.

This course from GRÓ GEST offers an excellent starting point for anyone coming to gender studies for the first time, or for those already in the field who wish to brush up on the basics through a more visual experience. The course will offer different resources in the form of literature, articles, images, audio, websites, and visual texts about gender in many different contexts. Specifically using examples from popular culture, classical literature, and history, this course will teach you how to analyze religious texts and traditions, class divisions, racial inequality, sexualities, and nationalism through a gendered lens.

What you'll learn

By the end of course, you will be able to:

Identify ways gender intersects with religion, class, race, sexuality, nationalism and equality.
Discuss gender in literature, popular culture, and public discourse.
Understand how gender is prescribed in literature, music, art, and public discourse.
See gender itself as a spectrum rather than a monolith. Humanities, Social Sciences

What's inside

Learning objectives

Identify ways gender intersects with religion, class, race, sexuality, nationalism and equality.
Discuss gender in literature, popular culture, and public discourse.

Understand how gender is prescribed in literature, music, art, and public discourse.
See gender itself as a spectrum rather than a monolith. humanities, social sciences

Identify ways gender intersects with religion, class, race, sexuality, nationalism and equality.
Discuss gender in literature, popular culture, and public discourse.
Understand how gender is prescribed in literature, music, art, and public discourse.
See gender itself as a spectrum rather than a monolith. humanities, social sciences

Syllabus

Week 1 : Gender and Religion Religion impacts us all. Whether we are believers or non-believers, it is woven into the very fabric of our social, moral, ethical, even political lives. This week we learn about the gendering of the concept of God and religion, and how this shapes our collective identity. We also learn about men and women have been accorded different roles in religious formations throughout history, and how this continues to affect us today.

Week 2 : Gender and Class: In this segment we will be looking at feminist movements from around the world, and the ways in which gender concerns intersected with those of class. Of course, we cannot cover all feminist movements everywhere, but we will talk about some of the most influential, and flag important components that you can then trace in other movements that you might know about or learn about later. Do you know the TV series ‘Sex and the City?’

Week 3 : Gender and Race This week we learn how race became a gendered social and cultural construct. We learn about its historical impact on our sense of identity, and especially on gender. We will examine the gendered construction of black and white bodies in culture and history, and we will look at the concept of orientalism as well as the social impact of racial profiling on men and women.

Week 4 : Gender and Sexuality Do we have to reinvent sexuality? Yes, we do. Because sexuality, like race, is understood and disseminated through socially constructed concepts. In this segment we trace the cultural history of sexuality back to ancient civilisations like India, China, Japan, and Greece. We will show how sexuality came to be regarded as a kind of gendered identity. We will also give you some tools to analyze the gender and sexuality components in popular culture and fairytales.

Week 5 : Gender and Nationalism Patriotism is markedly different from nationalism. This week we will discover how our ideas about gender have historically constructed our ideas about nationhood. We will look closer at ideas about racial purity, nostalgia and the so-called ‘culture wars’ from a gendered perspective.

Week 6 : Gender and the Idea of Equality It is hard to say ‘gender’ without saying ‘equality.’ But what does equality even mean and what does it, or would it, look like in practice? In the last week of this course, we trace ideas about equality and gender back through history in different cultures and laws.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Develops an understanding of how gender intersects with different cultural and social concepts, providing a valuable lens for navigating and understanding the world

Provides a comprehensive overview of gender studies, covering various topics such as religion, class, race, sexuality, nationalism, and equality

Emphasizes the importance of understanding gender and intersectionality in personal growth and societal progress

Utilizes multi-modal learning resources, including literature, articles, images, audio, websites, and visual texts, to enhance engagement and understanding

Offers a visual approach to learning, making it accessible and appealing to learners with diverse learning styles

Teaches how to critically analyze gender representations in literature, popular culture, and public discourse

Reviews summary

Highly rated course on gender and intersectionality

Learners say this course was amazing, really beneficial, and deeply illuminating. Reviewers learned a lot from the course and recommend it to others. Instructors are described as clear, original, and funny. Reviewers find the material easy to understand and applicable to real life.

The course material is applicable to real life.

"This course was very beneficial and applicable."

"I learned so much! This class really helped to open my eyes to intersectionality and gender."

"It's amazing how often gender and intersectionality topics arise in day to day life."

Instructors are clear, original, and funny.

"The instructors are clear, original and really funny."

"Our instructors Thomas Sir and Giti Ma'am have done a tremendous job."

"They have explained the most complicated topics in such a way that it got so easy to grasp the context and relevance of the same."

The course provides competent teaching in gender and intersectionality.

"One of the best courses I attended."

"I learned so much! This class really helped to open my eyes to intersectionality and gender."

"I can totally confirm this course is the best I've taken."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Gender and Intersectionality with these activities:

Read 'Gender Studies: An Introduction' by Heike Paul

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Get a foundational understanding of gender studies.

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Read the assigned sections
Annotate the book
Discuss the book with a classmate

Practice identifying different types of gender discrimination

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Develop your critical thinking skills by practicing identifying gender discrimination.

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Read examples of gender discrimination
Practice identifying different types of gender discrimination
Complete practice exercises

Create a timeline of important events in the history of gender studies

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Review and summarize the key moments in the development of gender studies.

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Gather information from reliable sources
Organize the events chronologically
Create a visual representation

Five other activities

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Watch a video lecture on the history of feminism

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Expand your knowledge of the history of the feminist movement.

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Find a reputable video lecture
Watch the video lecture
Take notes

Write an essay about the impact of gender on the workplace

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Apply your knowledge of gender and class to a real-world scenario.

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Choose a specific workplace
Research the gender dynamics
Write an essay

Attend a discussion group on a gender-related topic

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Engage in thoughtful discussions with peers to deepen your understanding of gender studies.

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Find a discussion group
Prepare for the discussion
Attend the discussion group

Attend a workshop on how to be an ally to people of different genders

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Learn how to support people of all genders and create a more inclusive society.

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Find a workshop
Register for the workshop
Attend the workshop

Volunteer at a local organization that supports gender equality

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Apply your knowledge of gender studies to make a positive impact in your community.

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Find a local organization
Contact the organization
Volunteer your time

Career center

Learners who complete Gender and Intersectionality will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Gender Studies Professor

This course provides a very comprehensive look at how gender intersects with many concepts in our lives. In order to teach gender studies, one needs to have a strong understanding of these concepts, which this course aims to provide.

See salaries and explore the career path for Gender Studies Professor

Diversity and Inclusion Manager

Diversity and Inclusion Managers work with businesses to analyze the diversity of their teams and build initiatives to foster inclusión. To do this effectively, understanding how intersectionality impacts diversity and inclusion is crucial, which is precisely what this course focuses on.

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Sociologist

Sociologists are experts in gender and social concepts, so this course would provide a solid starting point for a future in Sociology. Studying intersectionality as it applies to the social and cultural aspects of gender will provide the foundational knowledge necessary to become a successful Sociologist.

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Women's Studies Professor

This course provides a strong look at intersectionality as it applies to gender studies, which will help build a foundation for those who go on to teach in the field of Women's Studies.

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Human Resources Manager

Human Resources Managers get to work on intersectionality in the workplace, especially when it comes to equal treatment and opportunity. Studying how gender intersects with other cultural and social concepts may help prepare one for the challenges of management in Human Resources.

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Cultural Anthropologist

Cultural Anthropologists focus on the cultural aspects of society and how concepts like gender intersect with those cultural aspects. The course's visual focus may help build a foundation for understanding the cultural implications of gender.

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Policy Analyst

Policy Analysts need to consider gender and its intersections when assessing the effects of policies, and knowing how to use a gendered lens to analyze policies would be a key skill for a career in Policy Analysis.

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Curator

Curators need to understand the cultural aspects of their collections, including how different cultures have treated gender. This course will be a helpful starting point to build a foundation in gender analysis that can apply to the work of being a Curator.

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Historian

Historians who focus on gender or cultural studies would likely find this course helpful to build a foundational understanding of intersectionality as it applies to gender and history.

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Social Worker

Social Workers must understand the intersectionalities of gender and related concepts to best serve their clients. This course may be helpful in building a foundational understanding of how these concepts intersect.

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Lawyer

Lawyers need to understand the legal framework of gender and how it intersects with other concepts. This course may be helpful in building a foundational understanding of intersectionality as it applies to the law.

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Nonprofit Director

Nonprofit Directors often work with diverse populations and it's vital that these professionals understand intersectionality to best serve their clients. This course provides a starting point for building that understanding.

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Educator

Educators can use their understanding of intersectionality to create more inclusive and equitable learning environments. This course may be helpful in building a foundational understanding of intersectionality as it applies to education.

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Public relations manager

Public Relations Managers often work on diversity and inclusion initiatives, and a strong understanding of intersectionality would be helpful for success in this role.

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Journalist

Journalists often need to analyze events and trends for gender biases and other intersectionality issues, so this course may be helpful in building the foundation for a career in Journalism.

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