Gender and Social Movements

This course is research-intensive and closely connected to the activities of the research units Atelier Genre(s) et Sexualité(s) and STRIGES. It requires an active involvement from the students, that includes the careful reading of assigned articles and chapters.

It pursues the following aims:

• To introduce students to the main concepts and theories in social movement studies;
• To apply these concepts and theories to issues of gender and sexuality, highlighting the key role of social movements and contention in these domains;
• To read contemporary challenges in the fields of gender and sexuality with the tools of social movement studies.

The course will neither be an introductory course to gender studies nor a history of feminist and LGBTIQ movements. It assumes that students have already some knowledge in gender and sexuality studies.

Connaissances et compétences pré-requises ou co-requises

None. 

Each lecture includes a ex cathedra lecture and the discussion of a reading. Students are expected to actively participate to the course and to prepare the readings.

Contribution au profil d'enseignement

See above. 

Support(s) de cours

• Université virtuelle

Contacts

david.paternotte@ulb.be 

Campus

Solbosch

Méthode(s) d'évaluation

• Autre

Autre

During the course, students will develop a collective research project (max. 3 students) related to gender and social movements. They have to choose a social movement organisation, a specific mobilisation or a moment of contention and to reflect on how they could study it from a social movement perspective. The various lectures will help them carry out this assignment.

Students have to develop a potential research question about this organisation, mobilisation or moment of contention. They are not expected to answer this question, but to be able to justify why they think this is a relevant question and to relate to social movement studies. This implies presenting the chosen organisation or event and engaging with the adequate literature. To do so, they need to gather information about this organisation or mobilisation, which may imply some exploratory fieldwork (interview, observation, etc.) and to read scientific literature on social movements beyond what it is read collectively during the course.

This assignment is organised in three steps:

1. By 21 November, each group will submit a short note outlining the goals and the ambitions of the final essay. It should be 2-3 pages long. Groups will receive personalised feedback to help them improve their final essay.

This note should include

• • The topic
  • The relevance to the study of social movements
  • The research question
  • The main argument
  • The data you need to comple the final essay
  • The main bibliographical references
    
    

2. On 13 December, groups will discuss their work with other students, including questions and obstacles.

3. By 15 January, groups must submit their final essay. This essay must be about 2500-3000 words.

Construction de la note (en ce compris, la pondération des notes partielles)

The final note will be calculated as follows:

1. An exploratory note: 30 %
2. A final essay: 60 %
3. Group discussion of your topic: 10%

Langue(s) d'évaluation

• anglais
• (éventuellement français )