Language and Feminism
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| ENGL3094 | English | 3 | 20 | Autumn UK |
- Code
- ENGL3094
- School
- English
- Level
- 3
- Credits
- 20
- Semesters
- Autumn UK
Summary
This module provides students with comprehensive knowledge of feminist theory as applied to a series of language and linguistic contexts. Students will engage with a range of analytical approaches to language, including conversation analysis, critical discourse analysis, and interactional sociolinguistics. Students will respond to and critically engage with contemporary real-world problems associated with gender and sexuality through the consideration of discourse-based texts. Topics will include gender and sexual identity construction in a range of interactive contexts, as well as sexist, misogynistic, homophobic and heteronormative representations in texts. Students will engage with feminist theory from the 1970s to the current day, with particular focus on contemporary approaches to gender theory. The assessment will include an individual theoretical essay or analytical project.
Students are asked to complete the highly recommended reading prior to start of the term: Gee, J. P. (2011). An Introduction to Discourse Analysis: Theory and Method 3rd ed. London: Routledge. Machin, D. and Mayr, A. (2012). How to Do Critical Discourse Analysis: A Multimodal Introduction. London: SAGE Publishing.
Target Students
Only available for final-year students on SH and JH English programmes; including 2+2 programmes; students participating in exchanges from the School partner institutions; and final-year students on the Liberal Arts programme.
Classes
- One 1-hour seminar each week for 11 weeks
- One 2-hour lecture each week for 11 weeks
Assessment
- 100% Coursework: Coursework - 1 x 4000 word essay
Assessed by end of autumn semester
Educational Aims
Students who successfully complete this module will have gained: a thorough grounding in feminist theory as it has been applied to language and linguistic study; a wide-ranging knowledge of approaches to and theories of feminist linguistics; skills of practical investigation, data-collection, processing, and ethics skills in oral and written communication of ideas.Learning Outcomes
(a) Knowledge and understanding of:
- Individual theoretical essay or analytical project.
- Key theories and critical concepts relevant to the study of feminist linguistics
- Key findings and patterns regarding the relationship between language, gender and society
- Methodological design and application in analysing language data
(b) Intellectual skills
- The ability to understand and interpret critical theories and their application to a series of real-life contexts
- The ability to engage in analytical discussion of feminist theory and/or data
- The ability to engage in data collection and rigorous analytical discussion
(c) Professional and practical skills
- The ability to work with others to produce an oral presentation of original research to a professional disciplinary standard
- The ability to design and execute practical fieldwork or theoretical investigation, using appropriate linguistic and theoretical terminology in an effective way
- The ability to evaluate and reflect on the critical application of feminist theory to language and linguistic contexts
(d) Transferable skills
- The ability to produce systematic and rigorous descriptive and discursive writing
- The ability to work constructively with others
- The ability to work effectively and critically with politically-relevant theory
- The ability to apply academic theories to contemporary real-world problems