Gender Studies: Methodologies, Theories, Policies (FYL) – Thematic Units

HOU > Gender Studies: Methodologies, Theories, Policies (FYL) > Gender Studies: Methodologies, Theories, Policies (FYL) – Thematic Units

FYL50 Feminist Methodologies and Intersectionality

Code: FYL50

ECTS Credits: 10

Type: Compulsory

Semester in which offered: First (1^st)

Language of instruction: Greek

Module Outline

Purpose – Description: The aim of the Thematic Unit (ThU) is to familiarise students with the basic concepts and approaches in the epistemology and methodology of gender studies. Within this broad field, particular emphasis is placed on the study of feminist issues, which constitute a theoretical and empirical starting point for the adoption of gender as an analytical category in social science research.

In this light, the central questions raised by feminist thought challenge traditional science, the epistemological and methodological premises of the positivist tradition in the social sciences, and introduce new objects in social research, ethical and political issues on power relations in research and knowledge production, and, finally, new challenges posed by the deconstruction of gender in the context of postcolonial, and interdisciplinary critiques. The ThU follows the evolution of the debate on gender epistemology and methodology from a historical perspective.

Learning Outcomes: After the successful completion of this ThU, students are expected to:

Know how the conceptualisation of gender develops in the context of the two-way relationship between the feminist movements and feminist theory and research since the 1970s
Understand basic epistemological concepts and principles of feminist critique in traditional science, as well as the particular debates raised in the social sciences. In particular to understand the problematic of feminist empiricism and the attempts to ‘correct’ science, the problematic of the feminist standpoint, and the problematic of situated knowledge and ‘partial perspective’.
Become familiar with the critiques of positivist social research, as well as the debates on the new methodologies and fields of research related to the study of gender discrimination and inequalities in the context of social institutions and relations, both historical and contemporary.
Learn about the qualitative methodologies of feminist research, which focuses on the experiences, subjectivities and practices (discourses) related to the construction of gender difference, as well as the new objects of research that emerge in interpersonal relationships, everyday life, diversity, power relations, the body, sexuality and emotion.
Learn about the critique of the theoretical and research principles of the “gynocentric” feminist approach, and the deconstruction of the social category “woman”, under the influence of the postmodern critique in the conceptualization and study of gender.
Understand the importance of interdisciplinary and post-colonial critiques, which introduce issues related to the complexity of discrimination and of social hierarchies, as well as the intertwining of systems of oppression (colonialism, racism, heteropatriarchy), and the theoretical, methodological and political questions that the focus on the resistances of the oppressed brings to social research
Understand the importance of sexuality in the construction of gender and otherness, through the critique of queer approaches to the dominant dichotomous representation of gender in social science
Understand the issue of self-reflection, co-construction, empowerment and ethics of care in the context of the research process, where the relationship between researchers and research participants is recognised as crucial in the production and control of scientific knowledge

Cognitive Objectives:

Theoretical approaches to gender relations. Feminist theories
Aims and methods of gender studies
Epistemology and methodology of feminist research

Evaluation: Completion of written assignments during the academic semester which constitute a 40 percent of each student’s grade, if a pass is obtained in the final or repetitive examination. Final exam grades constitute a 60 percent of the students’ final course grade.

Teaching Method: distance learning using the HOU’s e-Learning Platform and conducting Group Counselling Meetings (tele-GCM).

FYL51 Gender and Education

Type: Compulsory

Semester in which offered: First (1^st)

Language of instruction: Greek

Module Outline

Purpose – Description: The aim of the Thematic Unit (ThU) is to explore the relationship between gender and education, i.e., how gender is structured and expressed in the education system, to highlight the network of gender inequalities and discrimination associated with it and finally, to examine the importance of gender policies based on holistic approaches in order for education to become a key pillar for the promotion of gender equality.

Indicative content of the ThU includes the following issues:

The school as a cultural context for the construction of gender identities and as a privileged field of intervention for the removal of sexism.
The role of the teacher and gender, educational leadership and gender / Gender dimension in teacher education – teacher training.
The “hidden” curriculum and gender / Integration of the gender perspective in classroom organisation and educational practices / Feminist approaches to pedagogy.
Sexism in language / The importance of overcoming sexism in language for a modern and inclusive education
Play – the curriculum of the early years of children’s life / The mpact of the gendered dichotomy of toys on children’s educational prospects and future career choices
The gender dimension of the curriculum / Curricula for all children.
Gender and teaching materials /Identifying and critically addressing sexism in teaching materials /Developing anti-sexist pedagogical materials.
Research approaches to gender in education.
Gender perspectives in different disciplines /Gender and STEM Sciences/ Strategies to promote gender equality in disciplines.
Policies to promote gender equality in education at national, European and international level
Gender-based discrimination and violence, sexual orientation, identity, gender expression and gender characteristics in education / Creating safe, non-violent and inclusive learning environments for all children.
Guidelines for the management of LGBTQ+ issues in education / Policies for LGBTQI inclusive education Sexuality education at school.

Learning Outcomes: After the successful completion of the specific topic, students are expected to have:

acquired knowledge about the ”gendered status” of education, i.e. that education, as an institution, is a space where gender practices are formed.
Acquire knowledge about how schooling produces, sustains, and reproduces
gender inequality and asymmetry through curricula, organisation and administration, pedagogical material, the hidden curriculum, vocational guidance, etc.
understand the gendered production of scientific knowledge and its reproductive practices; familiarise themselves with the issues raised by gender studies in relation to the production and teaching of scientific knowledge
understand the need to draft a comprehensive Action Plan for the integration of the gender dimension in all levels of education in order to eliminate sexism in schools
adopt a critical attitude towards their own gender representations and the practices through which they are constructed
aquire knowledge and skills to promote gender equality in education
develop a critical attitude towards issues related to the gender dimensions of educational life, increasing awareness of the various forms of gender bias, prejudice and discrimination that they reproduce in the educational process.

Cognitive Objectives:

Gendered segregation of toys, gender identities and school, safe and inclusive learning environments, sex education
Teachers, curriculum, pedagogical materials, teaching approaches, language and gender
Integration of gender perspectives in different disciplines, gender and STEM sciences, gender equality policies in education

Teaching Method: distance learning using the HOU’s e-Learning Platform and conducting Group Counselling Meetings (tele-GCM).

FYL52 Gender Theories, Sexualities, identities

ECTS Credits: 10

Type: Compulsory

Semester in which offered: First (1^st)

Language of instruction: Greek

Module Outline

Purpose – Description: The aim of the Thematic Unit (ThU) is to introduce some of the basic concepts and theoretical approaches to gender and sexuality. Drawing on an interdisciplinary perspective, a critical analysis of topics such as gender inequalities, sexism, heteronormativity, forms of domestic organisation, sexual identities and the unequal division of labour will be explored. Particular emphasis will be placed on presenting the power relations that underlie the relationship between practices and identities.

Based on the principal gender theories, we will attempt to approach the roles, attitudes, stereotypes associated with the social construction of gender identity. That is, we will treat masculinity and femininity as categories of analysis historically shaped, which are intertwined, interdependent and related to the power relations that bind individuals and groups. Using specific examples, we will analyse the focal points, variables and attributes that shape multiple gendered relations of subordination.

Indicatively, the ThU. includes the following sub-units:

Basic gender theories:

Will be presented, starting from the oppositional schema of “biological” vs “social” gender, and the critiques that have been made of them.

The social construction of gender
Liberal Feminism
Radical and Marxist Feminism
Ecofeminism
Gender as performance
Masculinity studies.
“Women” and “Men” as universal categories of analysis

Approaches that challenge the universal validity of the concepts of the “woman” and the “man” will be examined through a social science lens. As individuals and groups are always placed in networks where different variables such as race, ethnicity, sexuality, social class, artifice, etc. coexist, identities are constituted in historical contexts. The theoretical and methodological conditions that determine masculinities and femininities, as well as the power relations between them, will be analysed.

Theories of sexuality

Sexuality will be analysed as a concept, which is related to and produced by social, historical and cultural contexts.

The historical dimension of sexuality
The ‘science’ of sexology.
Racial politics of sexuality
Kinetic practices and sexuality.

Learning Outcomes: After the successful completion of this particular ThE, students are expected to:

Know the historical formation of gender theories.
understand that gender theories draw from different social and epistemological contexts from each other.
know the concepts that have contributed to the formation of gender theories.
are aware of the processes of production of masculinities and femininities in specific social contexts.
can analyse aspects of social reality with the tools of different gender theories
analyse versions of masculinity and femininity that emerge as a result of social consensus or conflict.
integrate gender theories into broader sociological theory.
can use gender theories in the design of gender equality programmes.

Cognitive Objectives:

Basic gender theories
“Women” and “Men” as universal categories of analysis
Theories of sexuality

Teaching Method: distance learning using the HOU’s e-Learning Platform and conducting Group Counselling Meetings (tele-GCM).

FYL53 Gender-based violence

Code: FYL53

ECTS Credits: 10

Type: Compulsory

Semester in which offered: Second (2^nd)

Language of instruction: Greek

Module Outline

Purpose – Description: The aim of the Thematic Unit (ThU) is to acquire knowledge, raise awareness and develop critical thinking on the issue of gender violence. More specifically, the ThU aims at understanding the basic concepts that are required for the analysis of the phenomenon of gender violence, as well as the different theoretical approaches and methodologies used to investigate it. It also aims to examine the institutional framework in place at national, European and international level to address gender-based violence and the services available to prevent and protect victims.

In the same context, the aim is also to understand the role played historically by the development of feminist and LGBTQ critiques and movements against gender violence. A broader objective is to raise awareness of the multiple types and forms that gender violence takes through an experiential and intersectional approach that challenges gender norms, stereotypes, roles and practices and allows for a broader understanding of gender violence as a social phenomenon that defines gender inequalities.

Learning Outcomes: Upon completion of the module, the following learning outcomes are expected:

Acquisition of specialized knowledge on the issues of violence against women and LGBTQI people, and on the methodologies for recording and addressing the phenomenon.
developing critical reflection on the multiple forms of gender-based violence and its intersectional dimensions, as well as on the gender norms, stereotypes and practices that lead to the reproduction of the phenomenon in different social and cultural contexts
acquiring knowledge of the legal and policy framework against gender-based violence at national, European and international level.
demonstrate social, professional and ethical responsibility and sensitivity to gender-based violence.

Cognitive Objectives:

Basic concepts and theories of gender-based violence
Forms of gender-based violence. Laws and policies for dealing with it
Feminist and LGBTQ reactions, critiques and movements against gender violence

Teaching Method: distance learning using the HOU’s e-Learning Platform and conducting Group Counselling Meetings (tele-GCM).

FYL54 Gender and Culture

Code: FYL54

ECTS Credits: 10

Type: Compulsory

Semester in which offered: Second (2^nd)

Language of instruction: Greek

Module Outline

Purpose – Description: This Thematic Unit (ThU) offers an overview of the main theoretical, methodological and research trends in the study of the relationship between gender and culture.

Contemporary sociology of culture focuses on the examination of culture and civilization as sites of social differentiation, especially after the so-called information revolution since the end of the 20th century and the further flourishing of the cultural and, subsequently, creative industries. Gender is part of these differentiating factors and acts as a catalyst in all processes of cultural production, distribution, and consumption.

The ThU examines the contemporary field of cultural and creative industries from a gender perspective and is divided into four subsections, each of which focuses on the analysis of gender in a more specific aspect of contemporary cultural and creative industries.

The first subsection draws on feminist cultural studies and analyses contemporary popular culture as a field of emergent gender representations. The second subsection draws primarily from feminist sociology of culture and studies the gendered dimensions of contemporary cultural production, that is, the ways in which gender shapes both access to and employment in the field of cultural production as well as work experience and careers in the field. The third subsection starts from sociological analyses of cultural consumption and focuses on the importance of gender as a factor in shaping the practices of cultural consumption practices and the related patterns of distribution of cultural capital and discrimination. The fourth section turns to the gendered performances of the self in contemporary gaming culture.

Learning Outcomes: After the successful completion of this module, students are expected to:

Understand the historical conceptual development of feminist analyses of the field of cultural production, distribution, and consumption
Understand the contribution of feminist approaches and analyses to the development of cultural studies and sociology of culture since the 1970s
Be able to describe the different theoretical, methodological and research directions developed for the analysis of gendered approaches to contemporary culture
Be able to apply this knowledge and methodological tools for the analysis of contemporary phenomena and examples from the field of culture to their own work in the context of the Thesis

Cognitive Objectives:

Feminist cultural studies: representations of gender in contemporary popular culture
Gendered dimensions of contemporary cultural production and employment in the creative industries
Gendered dimensions of cultural consumption. Gender and cultural capital

Teaching Method: distance learning using the HOU’s e-Learning Platform and conducting Group Counselling Meetings (tele-GCM).

FYL55 Gender, Rights, Politics

Code: FYL55

ECTS Credits: 10

Type: Compulsory

Semester in which offered: Second (2^nd)

Language of instruction: Greek

Module Outline

Purpose – Description: The aim of the Thematic Unit (ThU) is to acquire knowledge and become familiar with the basic concepts, theoretical approaches and empirical analyses of the gender dimension of human rights and politics. More specifically, the course explores the relationship between gender and the development and content of citizenship, democracy and political rights in contemporary societies. It critically assesses the extent to which parliamentary democracy as a political system is representative of all citizens.

The ThU includes considerations of the historical trajectories of the political rights’ movement by women’s organizations internationally and in Greece and the role played by the separation of public and private space in the “exclusion” of women from politics and decision making centres.

It also examines the contemporary scientific debate on the reasons for the persistence of the gender gap in political decision-making, as well as on the functioning (and deadens) of the institutional mechanisms and policy measures (quota legislation, etc.) that are called upon to address inequalities between men and women in all aspects of political life.

Indicatively, the unit includes the following sub-modules:

Ι. Women’s political rights in Europe

The first texts of women’s rights in France and England (Olympe de Gouges, Mary Wollstonecraft, etc.). The most important moments of the suffragette movement for the political right to vote. The struggle for women’s suffrage in Greece. Interwar feminism (National Council of Greek Women, League for Women’s Rights, etc.).

Democracy, citizenship, representation

A critical review of political theory and scholarship of the recognition of gender relations and gender identities in the analysis of democracy and citizenship. Theoretical approaches and conceptual clarifications of the gender dimensions of representation and universality in the functioning of the contemporary political systems. Mechanisms and processes of downgrading women to second-class citizens.

III. Women and gender in decision-making centres

Feminist and intersectional considerations of women’s participation in centres of political power. Gendered perceptions of patterns of women’s engagement with the public sphere. Sexism in public discourse and political practice. Affirmative action for women. International and European policies to increase participation in the electoral process and political practice. Mapping and assessment of current trends in the field.

Learning Outcomes: After the successful completion of this unit, students are expected to:

Acquire knowledge of the history of feminist movements for women’s political rights
Understand feminist approaches to the concept of human rights, citizenship and democracy
Become familiar with the conditions and reasons for the development of gendered patterns of participation in the field of politics and its institutions.
Identify and analyse the mechanisms of discouragement/exclusion of women from involvement in politics in contemporary Greek reality.

Cognitive Objectives:

Gendered political rights. The revindication of women’s vote in Europe and Greece
Gender, democracy, citizenship
Women and gender in political decision-making centres. Contemporary political and electoral practices

Teaching Method: distance learning using the HOU’s e-Learning Platform and conducting Group Counselling Meetings (tele-GCM).

FYL60 Gender Equality Policies

Code: FYL60

ECTS Credits: 10

Type: Compulsory

Semester in which offered: Third (3^rd)

Language of instruction: Greek

Module Outline

Purpose – Description: The aim of the Thematic Unit (ThU) is to acquire scientific and technical knowledge and familiarization with the basic concepts and theoretical approaches and empirical analyses of gender equality policies from the perspective of public policy studies and gender studies. More specifically, the unit analyses and critically assesses the conceptualisations, design strategies, implementation methods and evaluation of gender equality policy outcomes.

The unit will examine the historical trajectory of public policies at the international, European and national levels, the analyses of inequality on which they are based, the strategies and the methods applied according to the objectives set in different fields (labour market, education, politics, anti-violence, culture, etc.). Particular emphasis is placed on the analysis of the resistance encountered when trying to introduce gender equality policies.

Indicatively, the unit includes the sub-units:

Gender in public policies. Design and evaluation

The analysis of policies utilises the theoretical approaches of public policy studies focusing on the phases of the policy cycle, i.e. objectives, design, implementation and evaluation. Regarding the role of policy actors (state institutions, private actors, non-governmental organisations, individual policy makers, etc.), emphasis is placed on the role of institutions at the supranational and national levels, women’s and feminist organisations and on individual women policy makers in positions of political responsibility. The module examines key elements of the design, analysis and evaluation of public policies, both those that have gender equality as their primary objective and those that, while having other objectives, significantly affect gender relations in their field of intervention (dual strategy).

International, European, national, local equality policies

Description of key policies such as the policies of the United Nations, the European Union, Greece: International Conventions, The Beijing Platform for Action and Platform, European Directives, European Medium Term Action Plans, European Declarations and Charters, National Action Plans, Local Government Equality Programmes, etc.). Policies that (a) are exclusively targeted at women (affirmative action) and aim to reduce gender inequalities and eliminate gender-based violence in areas such as the labour market, family, politics, income, social security, access to goods and services, leisure time, etc. and (b) aim to integrate equality into general public policies (e.g. employment policy, research and technology policy, health policy, environmental policy, migration policy, etc.) in order to promote gender equality in the labour market, family life, income, social security, access to goods and services, leisure time, etc.) are analysed.

Policy areas, methods and tools

The critical analysis of the methods that have been applied is based on theoretical approaches developed in the context of gender studies and feminist theory. Emphasis is placed on the use of (a) an interdisciplinary approach to problem analysis, (b) a cross-cultural approach to beneficiaries, and (c) cross-sectoral collaboration to enhance the effectiveness of interventions.

The critical assessment of tools for implementing gender equality policies includes the development and implementation of the legislative and institutional framework, the creation of effective public mechanisms, the adoption of affirmative action for women including quotas, gender mainstreaming, public awareness, targeting /commitment to achieving numerical targets, gender impact assessment, the extension of gender indicators to measure progress, the integration of gender into fiscal policy and public finance (gender budgeting), the introduction of gender mainstreaming into public policy, and the development of gender equality in public administration.

Learning Outcomes: After the successful completion of this unit, students are expected to:

Understand how the main objectives of gender equality policies are shaped in relation to the inequalities found at specific levels of governance (international, European, national, local) and the interconnection between them
Know the evolution of gender equality policies, the conditions of their development and the resistances [they have faced in different socio-political contexts.
Become familiar with the planning methods and strategies chosen in the various fields of public policies as they have developed at international and European level.
Understand the selection criteria and the usefulness of the tools applied to address gender inequalities in different fields of public intervention.
Learn about the methods for assessing and evaluating measures and interventions in the different fields in terms of their impact on gender relations and the extent to which equality is achieved.

Cognitive Objectives:

Gender in public policies. Design and evaluation
International, European, national, local equality policies
Policy fields, methods and tools for equality policies

Teaching Method: distance learning using the HOU’s e-Learning Platform and conducting Group Counselling Meetings (tele-GCM).

FYL61 Gender, Migration and Interculturalism

Code: FYL61

ECTS Credits: 10

Type: Compulsory

Semester in which offered: Third (3^rd)

Language of instruction: Greek

Module Outline

Purpose – Description: The aim of this Thematic Unit (ThU) is to familiarize students with basic concepts of gender and migration. Particular emphasis is given to the coupling of the two broad thematic areas discussed in the Module, in order to highlight the gendered character of migration. In this light, the social and cultural relations developed in the context of racial, ethnic and gendered interactions and hierarchies, as they emerge in (post-)migration societies, are examined. The unit follows the logic of interdisciplinarity as developed within critical feminist theory and uses it as a vehicle for understanding the transformations that take place due to and through migrant mobility.

Learning Outcomes: After the successful completion of this unit, students are expected to:

Critically understand migrnt mobility and integrate the phenomena associated with it into the overall understanding of social formations
Understand and be able to reflect on the coupling of migration and gender, both in terms of reading the gendered character of migration and in terms of using gender for a more comprehensive reading of wider social relations and processes
Be able to problematise theoretically and empirically the relationships, interactions and conflicts that may result from the encounter of different ethnic groups in a particular social context
Have acquired interpretative tools for reading hybrid gender identities, positions and performances

Cognitive Objectives:

The contribution of feminist critique to the interpretation of migrant mobility in combination with postcolonial theory, transnationality, diasporas
Gender and ethnic division of labour, gender and precarity
Domestic work, renegotiation of roles within households, transnational households

Teaching Method: distance learning using the HOU’s e-Learning Platform and conducting Group Counselling Meetings (tele-GCM).

FYL62 Gender, Care, Work

Code: FYL62

ECTS Credits: 10

Type: Compulsory

Semester in which offered: Third (3^rd)

Language of instruction: Greek

Module Outline

Purpose – Description: The Gender, Care, Work unit will focus on:

the relationship between women’s paid work and unpaid care responsibilities, which are gender-biased. In this context, the political and socio-economic dimensions of the reconciliation of professional, personal and family life are examined, as well as the role of the welfare state, the extended family and paid care work (domestic work, childcare for the elderly,
employment inequalities linked to the unequal distribution of care and to gender norms, stereotypes and practices
precariousness as a gendered condition in connection with the feminisation processes of broader sectors. Particular emphasis will be placed on highlighting the specificities of the Greek case after the economic crisis.
structural gender inequalities including the pay gap, the employment and unemployment gap and the gendered (vertical and horizontal) division of labour in relation to the gendered segregation of disciplines in education and the labour market. Emphasis will be placed on gender-based biases in science and technology
women’s entrepreneurship and innovation.
the equal inclusion of gender and women in the labour market as a strategy to foster growth and innovation

Learning Outcomes: Upon completion of the unit the expected results are the following:

Gaining knowledge about gender inequalities in the labour market and the multiple causes of them
Ability to think critically about the gender patterns that determine structural inequalities in the labour market, the pay gap, the employment-unemployment gap from a gender perspective
Ability to understand the issues arising from the inability to reconcile professional, personal and family life
familiarity with statistical data on gender inequalities in the labour market and qualitative methodologies for analysing work and care from a gender perspective
Ability to understand the concepts of care, reproductive work, and the concept of precariousness from the perspective of gender and labour studies.
Ability to develop new ideas on women’s entrepreneurship and innovation

Cognitive Objectives:

Inequalities in the labour market and education
Care, reproductive work, domestic work
Women’s entrepreneurship, leadership, and management

Teaching Method: distance learning using the HOU’s e-Learning Platform and conducting Group Counselling Meetings (tele-GCM).

FYLDE Postgraduate Dissertation

Code: FYLDE

ECTS Credits: 30

Type: Compulsory

Semester in which offered: Fourth (4^th)

Language of instruction: Greek

Module Outline

General Description: This Thematic Unit (ThU) will be carried out through the writing of an individual original thesis during the 4th semester on topics related to the content of the postgraduate programme in order to cultivate, develop and evaluate the analytical and critical skills developed by the students during the programme.

The thesis will focus on the theme of gender studies and will use the methodological and theoretical approaches of the discipline. The design of the thesis, the research, the collection of literature, and analysis will be carried out by each student individually under the supervision of a supervisor.

For more information regarding the Specifications – Useful Material for writing Master’s Theses and uploading a Thesis at the H.O.U. Repository, you can go to the Digital Training Area http://courses.eap.gr and especially to the Program of Studies section.

General Regulation for the Preparation of Master’s Theses in postgraduate programmes with a six-month duration.

Prerequisites: The presentation of the Postgraduate Dissertation takes place after the successful completion of the program’s Modules..