| Unit name | Gender, Sexuality and Cinema |
|---|---|
| Unit code | MODL30018 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Professor. O'Rawe |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School of Modern Languages |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
Debates about sex, gender, and sexuality are everywhere in contemporary society, and anxieties about gender continue to reveal themselves, at a time when, for example, non-binary identities are becoming more common, and trans rights are moving to the mainstream. Film puts bodies and identities under the lens, in terms of actorly performance and how bodies are photographed for the camera.
Whether you’ve already studied a film unit, or are interested in cinema’s role in shaping cultural understandings of gender and sexuality across a range of different global and linguistic contexts, this unit gives you the opportunity to explore the relationship between film and these markers of identity. All films studied will be sub-titled and students are not expected to study secondary criticism in the target language given the comparative nature of the unit.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
By studying cutting-edge theories of gender, sexuality, and race, you will become a confident researcher and able to develop and sustain your own argument in dialogue with the works of leading scholars, under the guidance of your tutors. You will consolidate your intercultural expertise through the comparative study of film texts and cultural contexts, and you will conduct rigorous close analysis of films at a high level, giving you the skills of both close reading of form, and broader cultural, historical interpretation.
An overview of content
The unit introduces you to screen representations of gender and sexuality, focusing specifically on a range of contemporary films across different cultures. You will be introduced to the close analysis of films and will conduct readings that are informed by a range of theoretical approaches, not least the critical study of masculinity and queer theory. Lectures and targeted readings provide a broad overview of the relevant theories, and seminar discussions focus on identifying the relevance of particular theories to interpretations of the films, through the close analysis of individual sequences. Weekly focusing questions are provided to structure your learning and to prepare for seminar discussions.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
Having taken this unit, you will have developed a broad range of skills. You will have a good command of the relevant theories, and a good grasp on how to deploy film-critical terminology. You will be able to apply your knowledge to the selected film texts, but also to complex real-world debates around gender and sexuality, which are becoming ever more prominent in public discourse. You will in turn become confident, reflective, and effective communicators, both through seminar discussion and written assignments. You will likewise be able to research independently and sustain a sophisticated argument, in dialogue with the theoretical literature on the topic.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. Analyse the film texts in close detail, informed by relevant secondary literature and cutting-edge theoretical positions;
2. Identify and interpret the issues of (and debates around) gender and sexuality raised by the unit;
3. Evaluate the relationship between particular films and their cultural and historical contexts;
4. Undertake independent research appropriate to this level of study;
5. Formulate and sustain complex comparative arguments.
Teaching will be delivered through a combination of interactive lectures and seminar discussion, alongside self-directed reading and questions to consider outside class. In-class activities will increase your familiarity with the subject matter, thereby allowing you to increase in confidence and knowledge in the topics. Seminar discussions will allow you to develop your critical thinking about cinema’s role in shaping cultural understandings of gender and sexuality across a range of different global and linguistic contexts.
Tasks students are expected to complete include:
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
In the Weeks 2, 3, 4 and 5 folders, the unit director will reveal sequences from essential films for you to comment on in a private blog (which is not assessed, but which you can invite other students and/or the unit director to give feedback on).
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Commentary/sequence analysis, to be developed from your formative work, 1,500 words (25%) [ILOs 1-3]
Essay on two films studied, 3,000 words (75%) [ILOs 2, 4 and 5]
When assessment does not go to plan
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the form or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are normally confirmed by the School shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the academic year.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. MODL30018).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
