Undergraduate Course: Gender, Sexualities and Health (SHSS08008)
Course Outline
| School | School of Health in Social Science |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 2 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This is an introductory course addressing gender and sexuality in healthcare contexts. The course will provide a basis for understanding health from interdisciplinary social science perspectives, drawing in the ways gender and sexuality play important roles for understanding and shaping healthcare experiences. Although designed for the MA Health in Social Science students it will be available and interesting to students studying across other disciplines and subject areas. |
| Course description |
Issues around gender, sexualities and health are intimately shaped by social, cultural, political and economic forces; they are contemporary issues with ongoing debates around the globe concerning rights, justice, activism, and access to services, all of which can be examined using the lens of sex and gender.
The course is delivered by a multi-disciplinary team of experts within the School of Health in Social Science, and seeks to introduce students to social scientific approaches to exploring issues around gender, sexualities and health. The course draws on the sociology of health and illness, as well as gender studies, anthropology, policy and politics, law and history.
Course content:
- Gender, sexuality and patterns of health and ill health, and gender differences and inequality in health and medicine;
- Gender and reproductive health; this will introduce a global perspective, considering reasons for differences in reproductive health outcomes based on social class and ethnicity, as well as issues around access to abortion and contraception globally;
- Trends in sexual health; this will look at patterns and trends in topics such as contraception and STIs, including the links between STIs and antimicrobial resistance;
- Gender, sexualities, equality and diversity; this will introduce politics and policy to discussions of sex and gender;
- Sex, history and the law; this will consider how sex and sexuality have interacted with the law across time, and introduce a historical lens with which to view the topics;
- Sex, sexuality and health activism; this will consider the long connections between sexual health and health activism, including issues such as reproductive health, HIV/AIDS and PrEP, and will connect with discussions on sex and the law;
- LGBTQ health and transgender issues around the globe; this will bring together earlier discussions of sexuality, law, history and activism with a specific focus on LGBTQ and trans health.
The course will be delivered via a weekly two hour lecture and a weekly one hour tutorial. A range of methods will be used for course delivery including films and guest speakers.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2024/25, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 72 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 20,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 10,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
166 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
One 2,000 word essay (100% of course mark) |
| Feedback |
Ongoing formative feedback will be given in tutorials as part of class discussions. Students will also engage in peer review of each other's essay ideas, guided by tutors. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Identify socio-political and cultural contexts of health in relation to gender and sexualities.
- Draw on social science knowledge to develop an understanding of how and why gendered inequalities in health and illness occur.
- Demonstrate an understanding of theoretical concepts relating to gender and sexualities.
- Explain how identities associated with gender and sexuality intersect with other identities (e.g., race, class, ability) to situate individuals within systems of power.
- Engage with debates around the social construction of gender and sexuality, demonstrating an awareness of how they are developed and performed in socio-cultural and political contexts.
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Reading List
Aggleton P. et al (eds) (2023) Routledge Handbook of Sexuality, Gender, Health and Rights. Routledge
Connell R, Pearse R. (2014) Gender: In World Perspective. Polity Press
Davis G. (2011) 'Health and Sexuality', in Jackson M. (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of
the History of Medicine. OUP
Davidson R., Hall L. (eds) (2001) Sex, Sin and Suffering: Venereal Disease and European Society since 1870. Routledge
Foucault M. (1990) The History of Sexuality: An Introduction. Pantheon Books
Gideon J. (ed.) (2016) Handbook on Gender and Health. Edward Elgar
Hines S, Taylor Y, (2012) Sexualities: Past Reflections, Future Directions. Palgrave Macmillan
Tamale S. (2011) African Sexualities: A Reader. Fahamu Books |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Gender,Sexuality,Health |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Sally Brown
Tel: (0131 6)51 3969
Email: sbrown25@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Brian Tuohy
Tel: (0131 6)50 6661
Email: Brian.Tuohy@ed.ac.uk |
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