GENDER AND THE

ENVIRONMENT
AMU1310 Introduction to Gender Studies
Week 1
Gender Studies major @ SASS (2016-)
Semester 1 Semester 2 October intake Summer B (Nov-Feb)
AMU1310 Intro to Gender AMU1309 Intro to AMU1309 Intro to AMU3744 Workplace
Studies (Gate) Sexuality Studies (Gate) Sexuality Studies (Gate) Learning Internship (Cap)

AMU2453 Research AMU2906 Genders,

Methods in the Social Sexualities and Religions in
Sciences (corner) Southeast Asia (Corner)
AMU2907 AMU2907 Sexual
Critical Methodologies for Reproductive Health and
Action Research Rights in Global Contexts
AMU3560 Contemporary AMU3127 Stardom
Feminisms in Asia (Cap)
AMU3575 Task Force:
Responding to Global
Challenges (Cap)

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Unit schedule
Week Topic Assessment
1 INTRO & Gender & the environment Weekly quizzes start
2 Gender & Global Studies
3 Gender & Education
4 Gender & Food Studies
5 Gender & Sport
6 Reading week Annotated bibliography
7 Gender & Psychology
8 Gender & Law
9 Gender & Science
10 Gender & Religion
11 Gender & Communication/ Media
12 Reading week AMU1310 W1 Short essay 3
Learning outcomes
1. Identify relevant resources and key issues.
2. Relate key issues to different disciplinary contexts.
3. Discuss key debates from a gendered perspective within and across disciplines.
4. Examine the extent to which gender as a primary analytical category is useful.
5. Formulate and structure a logical and coherent argument that is well supported
by relevant evidence.
6. Communicate perceptively, effectively and with cultural sensitivity.
7. Demonstrate ethical values, cross-cultural competency as a responsible and
effective global citizen.

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Assessments
• Annotated Bibliography (20%, W6) • 600 words (incl. Ref)
• Choose from topics 1-5
• LOs 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6
• Short essay (40%, W12) • 12oo words (excl. Ref)
• Choose from topics 7-11
Use APA
• LOs 1-7 citation/referencing
• Quizzes (40%, weekly from W1) • Online Moodle (≥ 75% tutorial
attendance)
• LOs 1, 2 and 4
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What is “gender”?
• “…the term ‘gender’ means the
cultural difference of women from
men, based on the biological division
between male and female” (R. W.
Connell,2002, p. 8)
• Sex/gender
• Male/female
• Masculine/feminine
• Dualisms (“oppositional pairs”) →
“different but complementary”
(Beasley, 1999, pp. 9, 7)
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What is “gender”?
• “gender is not a noun…[it is]
performativity produced” (Butler,
1990, p. 285) → gender fluid
• → Inclusive redefinition
• “Gender is the structure of social
relations that centres on the
reproductive arena, and the set of
practices (governed by this structure)
that bring reproductive distinctions
between bodies into social
processes” (Connell, 2002, p. 10)

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“gendered” or
“gendering”
“gender as an active ongoing
process, rather than something
that is ready-made and fixed”
(Pilcher and Whelehan, 2004, p.
59)
Gender equality: sameness
Gender equity : differently &
disproportionately (affected)

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AMU1310 W1 9
Which text is “gender neutral”?
Addis Ababa Action Agenda,
Pope Francis, Laudato Si,” 49
Article 6
• “Today however, we have to realize • We reaffirm that achieving gender
that a true ecological approach equality, empowering all women and
always becomes a social approach; it girls, and the full realization of their
must integrate questions of justice in human rights are essential to
debates on the environment, so as to achieving sustained, inclusive and
hear both the cry of the earth and the equitable economic growth and
cry of the poor”. sustainable development... and to
eliminate gender-based violence and
discrimination in all its forms”.

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Mobilizing ♀ for
climate change
“We went to Paris calling for
system change, not climate
change. We went with
determination to ensure human
rights, gender equality,
indigenous people’s rights,
intergenerational equity, a just
transition” (WEDO, 2015)

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Nature as
feminine
principle
“Nature as Prakriti is
inherently active, a
powerful productive force in
the dialectic of creation,
renewal and sustenance of
all life” (Shiva, 2002, p. 39)

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What’s gender got to do with it?(Matsuoka, 2007)

Women in Dev (WID) Gender & Dev (GAD) Ecofeminism

 Inclusion of ♀ ← gender  Dev as gendered →  Man/woman //
neutral (welfare approach) differential impact nurture/nature (utopian)
 ↓ Social inequality  Multiple approaches  Essentialising ♀
(MDGs, SDGs)
 Essentialising ♀  ↓ material relationship
 AMU1310 W1  Institutional approach 13
 d En v iro nment
o m en, G ender an
W

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Attendance codes (international students
only)
• Lecture (Thurs 0900-1100), 6-0-03 • MQY9W
• Tutorial 1 (Thurs 1200-1300), 9-4-09 • 5Y6G6
• Tutorial 2 (Fri 1100-1200), 9-4-09 • QX6HH
• Tutorial 3 (Fri 1300-1400), 9-4-09 • 2C8HY
• Tutorial 4 (Fri 1400-1500), 9-4-09 • HAKM2
• Tutorial 5 (Fri 1500-1600), 9-4-09 • 972RB

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