Philosophy of Sex, Sexuality, and Gender

Learning Outcomes

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• interpret, synthesise and criticise complex texts and positions.
• express and debate ideas in writing, in an open minded and rigorous way.
• present views and arguments in a clear and engaging fashion.
• examine critically and dispassionately views which can appear provocative and contentious.

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• topics in the ethics of sex, sexuality and gender covered by the module. You will be able to describe and assess the possible positions that might be taken on each issue, the core arguments for each view and the key objections.
• how to relate these issues to issues in other areas of philosophy that you have studied, such as Ethics or Feminism.
• the key features of the theories of the nature of sex, sexuality and gender covered by the module, the core arguments for each view and the key objections.

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• take notes from talks and written materials.
• undertake, with adequate supervision, independent work, including identifying and using appropriate resources.
• think independently and support your views with arguments.
• convey ideas concisely and clearly .
• work effectively to deadlines.

The syllabus may vary from year to year. Topics might include:

• General theories of the nature of sex, sexuality and gender:

Can we pick out necessary and sufficient conditions for an act to count as sexual? What are the ethical implications of different ways of understanding sex? What is a sexual orientation? What is gender?

• The ethics of sex, sexuality and gender

We often choose a small selection of concrete issues or situations which raise issues of sexual ethics, or specific ethical questions related to sexual orientation and gender. Topics might include: monogamy and polyamory, the ethics of pornography; sexual objectification; sexual orientation, gender identity and first person authority.

Teaching methods include

• Lectures
• In-class discussion
• One-on-one consultation with module co-ordinator

Learning activities include

• Attending classes
• Contribution to class discussion
• Doing independent research for and writing assessed work

Formative

This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.

Exercise

• Assessment Type: Formative
• Feedback: Written feedback
• Final Assessment: No
• Group Work: No
• Percentage contribution: 33%

Exercise

• Assessment Type: Formative
• Feedback:
• Final Assessment: No
• Group Work: No
• Percentage contribution: 33%

Exercise

• Assessment Type: Formative
• Feedback:
• Final Assessment: No
• Group Work: No
• Percentage contribution: 34%

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Repeat

An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.