Anthropology is uniquely situated to look into concepts and theories of gender, sex and sexuality through its concern with the culturally-specific character of human categories and practices. This course explores gender, sex and sexuality across a range of cultural settings seeking, in the process, to question most of what we—including most theorists of sex/gender—take for granted about the gendered and sexed character of human identity and difference. Topics explored include: the saliency of the categories man and woman; the relationships between race and gender; the role of colonialism and neocolonialism in the representation of gender, sex and sexuality; the usefulness of the notion of oppression; the relationship between cultural conceptions of personhood and cultural conceptions of gender; and the ethnocentricity of the concepts of gender, sex and sexuality themselves. To assist these explorations we will make use of cross-cultural case studies in a number of areas including rape, prostitution, work and domesticity, the third sex and homosexuality.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

Upon successful completion of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. 1. Recognise and describe a wide range of (often unfamiliar) knowledges and practices pertaining to sex/gender found throughout the world;
2. 2. Interrogate and denaturalise assumptions about sex/gender found in contemporary western societies (including Australia);
3. 3. Identify the ethnocentric character of many concepts used by theorists of sex/gender;
4. 4. Analyse the place and meaning, in their own cultural contexts, of a range of gendered beliefs and practices; and
5. 5. Design and carry out an individual research project in the anthropology of gender.

Research-Led Teaching

On the face of things, my research might not appear to focus on gender and sexuality - I study financial systems! Insurance funds! Weather derivatives! What does any of this have to do with women? At the core of my research agenda is *making* capitalism an issue of gender and sexuality, and interrogating the forms of privilege that allow us presume that economic relations are not also gendered (and gendering) relations. This is a conceptual thread that runs through the course material, from the forms of social reproduction and care allocated to women, to the cross-cultural differences in how 'the home' is organised, to selling sex and labour, to the gendered policing of how we speak and act at work.

Recommended Resources

We will read an ethnography, Noel Stout's After Love: Queer Intimacy and Erotic Economies in Post-Soviet Cuba (2014) as a major text for the course. It is available as an eBook from the library. If you prefer to purchase a copy of the book, I recommend ordering a copy online in the first week(s) of the course so that arrives in time for the weeks 6-7 module on Cross-Cultural Queer Subjectivity.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• written comments
• verbal comments
• feedback to whole class, groups, individuals, focus group etc

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). Feedback can also be provided to Course Conveners and teachers via the Student Experience of Learning & Teaching (SELT) feedback program. SELT surveys are confidential and also provide the Colleges and ANU Executive with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Feminist and Queer Anthropologies	Introduction of course materials
2	Probing the Universal Male Domination Debate	Tutorials begin
3	Interrogating the 'Patriarchal Past'
4	Cross-Cultural Femininities
5	Cross-Cultural Masculinities
6	Cross-Cultural Queer Subjectivity (part 1)	Assessment #1 (Tutorial Portfolio - feedback)
7	Cross-Cultural Queer Subjectivity (part 2)	Assessment #2 (Book Club)
8	Gender and Waithood
9	Economies of Sex and Gender	Assessment #3a (Un-essay Proposal)
10	Post-Gender Digital Futures?	Assessment #3b (Un-essay Proposal peer review)
11	Gender and Empire
12	Language and Gender	Assessment #1 (Tutorial Portfolio - final feedback)
13	Examination Period	Assessment #4 (Un-essay)

Tutorial Registration

Please sign up for online and in-person tutorials on the course Wattle site

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Tutorial Portfolio (800 words)	20 %	*	*	1,2,3
Book Club	30 %	23/09/2022	*	1,3
Un-Essay Proposal	25 %	07/10/2022	21/10/2022	2,4
Un-Essay	25 %	14/11/2022	*	1,2,3,4

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines , which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Integrity Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Guideline and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure
• Code of practice for teaching and learning

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the Academic Skills website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Assessment Task 1

Tutorial Portfolio (800 words)

A formative assessment aimed to develop research skills and ethnographic analysis.

1) Each week students will contribute a discussion question to tutorial and write a 100 word reflection using an "un-grading" rubric.

2) In Week 6 and 12, oral feedback will be offered in tutorial

3) Top 8 grades will be counted towards the 20% individual assessment. This task is completed and submitted in-class on a weekly basis.

Individual assessment (20%)

Assessment Task 2

Book Club

Summative assessment activity focused on a significant ethnography. Students will be grouped in a “book club” (4-5 peers) to read the principal ethnography assigned during week 6-7 (including the mid-semester break). Book clubs should organise to meet independently with their peers during this time – a recommended 4 meetings, but at the discretion of the group.

Group project (20%)

Podcast of 30min responding to the prompts

Individual project (10%)

Individual students will be assessed on an analytic memo (750 words) evaluating their contribution to the “book club” and reflecting a key concepts in anthropology of gender/sexuality.

Assessment Task 3

Un-Essay Proposal

Individual Un-essay Proposal (20%)

Students will be assessed on a formative project proposal for their “un-essay” (see Assessment Task 4). Up to four students can collaborate on a team project; however, each student will be responsible for writing in an individual proposal that outlines their approach and contribution to the project. The proposal should include:

 

Project Description: 200 words

Briefly describe in simple language what you plan to do. (I will produce a blog series about… I will make a podcast… My oral history of… I will create a comic book… My stop-motion animation film will be about… My design for an interactive museum exhibit is… I will teach myself how to… This LEGO model expects to critically interrogate…)

 

Objectives: 300 words total; up to 3 objectives

What are the aims of the project? These can be empirical (I want to describe/document), analytical (I want to evaluate, critique, re-think), and/or creative (I want to produce, make, assemble, chart, map, draw, compile).

 

Theoretical Background: 800 words

Using key texts from the course supplemented by independent research, explain how your proposal will apply theories of gender and sexuality that we have engaged over the course of the semester. Students should demonstrate an excellent grasp of the conceptual tools and extend them into novel contexts/situations.

 

Methodology: 200 words

Provide a detailed plan of what you expect to do. This might include a step-by-step guide, a timeline for completion, and a research plan. Explain what resources you plan to access/make use of and why.

Statement of Contribution: 300 words

Explain how your project addresses 'Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective'

 

For individuals collaborating on a group project, your methodology should take particular care to explain what your role will be in the unessay and how you will integrate team resources (including time/capabilities) into the project.

Peer-review Un-Essay Proposal (5%)

Students will workshop their Un-Essay Proposals using the "workshop tool" on Wattle

Assessment Task 4

Un-Essay

Un-Essay (15%)

This is an individually designed student-centred project that fosters the characteristics of high-level learning. The unessay is an assignment that gives students freedom to decide what elements of the course material (theory, ethnography, methodologies) they want to focus on and the specific ways they want to accomplish these goals. For example, students can write a poem, draw a comic, produce a podcast, design a board-game, create a webpage, or anything else that engages in a rigorous and principled way with some aspect of the course. Any sort of submission can work, so long as the message is communicated effectively and is in line with the content and ideas presented in ANTH6025. This summative project will build on the formative project proposal and peer review process undertaken in Assessment 3.

As indicated in the description of Assessment 3, groups of up to 4 students can collaborate on an un-essay.

Reflective statement, 1,000 words (10%)

Students will be assessed on an individual reflective essay that interprets and evaluates the feminist, queer, and anthropological theory and methodology that they have engaged through the un-essay process.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. The University’s students are an integral part of that community. The academic integrity principle commits all students to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support, academic integrity, and to uphold this commitment by behaving honestly, responsibly and ethically, and with respect and fairness, in scholarly practice.

The University expects all staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle, the Academic Integrity Rule 2021, the Policy: Student Academic Integrity and Procedure: Student Academic Integrity, and to uphold high standards of academic integrity to ensure the quality and value of our qualifications.

The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 is a legal document that the University uses to promote academic integrity, and manage breaches of the academic integrity principle. The Policy and Procedure support the Rule by outlining overarching principles, responsibilities and processes. The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 commences on 1 December 2021 and applies to courses commencing on or after that date, as well as to research conduct occurring on or after that date. Prior to this, the Academic Misconduct Rule 2015 applies.

 

The University commits to assisting all students to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. All coursework students must complete the online Academic Integrity Module (Epigeum), and Higher Degree Research (HDR) students are required to complete research integrity training. The Academic Integrity website provides information about services available to assist students with their assignments, examinations and other learning activities, as well as understanding and upholding academic integrity.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Individual assessment tasks may or may not allow for late submission. Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:

• Late submission not permitted. If submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date is not permitted, a mark of 0 will be awarded.
• Late submission permitted. Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

The Academic Skills website has information to assist you with your writing and assessments. The website includes information about Academic Integrity including referencing requirements for different disciplines. There is also information on Plagiarism and different ways to use source material.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Access and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students