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Sex in Science (HPSC20023)
Undergraduate level 2Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
Semester 1
Overview
| Availability | Semester 1 |
|---|---|
| Fees | Look up fees |
Biological sex is both fundamental to reproduction and, in humans, the basis of the primary social category of gender, making it both an important and politically charged variable in scientific research across the biological and social sciences. In this subject, students will explore fundamental and controversial questions at the intersection of sex and science, and consider their wider social implications, as well as for science. The subject will tackle questions including:
- What is biological sex? Is it stable, fixed and binary?
- How do cultural assumptions about sex influence scientific questions, methods, analysis and interpretation: from genetics and endocrinology to neuroscience and evolutionary science?
- What does science tell us about how to think about the relations between sex and gender? What are the social and political implications of different accounts?
- What is the impact of scientific claims about sex in society? What should they be?
Students will encounter varied disciplinary perspectives on sex, and critically examine both academic and popular resources.
Intended learning outcomes
Upon successful completion of this subject students will:
- Be able to locate contemporary gender debates in a scientific context.
- Begin to develop an understanding of the empirical, methodological, epistemological, and social and cultural foundations of controversies in science and scientific practice.
- Begin to develop an understanding of the role of socio-political values in science.
- Acquire skills in clear, coherent and persuasive written presentation.
Last updated: 15 February 2024
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 15 February 2024
Assessment
| Description | Timing | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
Hurdle requirement Hurdle requirement: students must attend a minimum of 75% of tutorials in order to pass this subject. All pieces of written work must be submitted in order to pass this subject. | Throughout the semester | N/A |
A "The Conversation" style piece (1000 words) that provides a critical assessment of a contemporary gender debate informed by scientific research. This is to be supplemented with an annotated bibliography providing references and brief justifications for claims made in the piece (1000 words).
| During the examination period | 50% |
A paper identifying the assumptions about sex in a scientific article, and explaining their influence on the research. (2000 words)
| Week 6 | 50% |
Last updated: 15 February 2024
Dates & times
- Semester 1
Coordinator Cordelia Fine Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 35 hours: A 2 hour lecture per week and a 1 hour tutorial each week commencing week 2 Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 26 February 2018 to 27 May 2018 Last self-enrol date 9 March 2018 Census date 31 March 2018 Last date to withdraw without fail 4 May 2018 Assessment period ends 22 June 2018 Semester 1 contact information
Last updated: 15 February 2024
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
There are no specifically prescribed or recommended texts for this subject.
- Breadth options
This subject is available as breadth in the following courses:
Last updated: 15 February 2024