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Race and Gender: Philosophical Issues (PHIL30052)
Undergraduate level 3Points: 12.5Dual-Delivery (Parkville)
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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 - Dual-Delivery |
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Fees | Look up fees |
This subject explores race and gender and their interconnection. Is race a biological category, a socially constructed category, or a pernicious fiction? Currently humans are divided into hierarchies along race and gender lines, but what would a just future look like: one in which race and gender have become history, or one in which your race or gender no longer marks you out for unequal treatment? Historically and currently, all settler-colonial countries racialize their First Nation peoples. Anti-racist movements, such as Black Lives Matter, aim to undo this structural racism, but would doing that be enough to fully address the justice claims of First Nation peoples?
As well as exploring these fundamental questions about the social categories of race and gender, the subject also uses tools from philosophy of language and epistemology to explore application areas, including when if ever it is morally permissible to vandalize monuments, whether pornography subordinates and silences women, what hate speech is and what our response to it should be, and what white ignorance is and how to combat it.
Intended learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this subject will:
- gain a sound general comprehension of the major recent advances in our philosophical understanding of social categories such as gender, race;
- understand and apply techniques from critical social theory to the evaluation of social practices;
- Increase in ability to analyse and critique arguments;
- be able to think and write rigorously, imaginatively and coherently on issues relating to race and gender;
- be able to apply philosophical theorizing about race and gender to questions of social policy;
- be able to work individually and in groups to generate and evaluate arguments.
Last updated: 11 April 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: 11 April 2024
Assessment
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
A written assignment
| Mid semester | 50% |
A take-home examination
| During the examination period | 50% |
Hurdle requirement: Students must attend a minimum of 75% of workshops in order to pass this subject. All pieces of written work must be submitted to pass this subject. | Throughout the semester | N/A |
Additional details
Note: Assessment submitted late without an approved extension will be penalised at 10% per day. After five days late assessment will not be marked. In-class tasks missed without approval will not be marked.
Last updated: 11 April 2024
Dates & times
- Semester 1
Principal coordinator Karen Jones Mode of delivery Dual-Delivery (Parkville) Contact hours 35 hours - 2 x 1 hour lectures each week and 1 x 1 hour tutorial in weeks 2-12 Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 28 February 2022 to 29 May 2022 Last self-enrol date 11 March 2022 Census date 31 March 2022 Last date to withdraw without fail 6 May 2022 Assessment period ends 24 June 2022 Semester 1 contact information
Time commitment details
170 hours
Additional delivery details
Students enrolling in this subject should have completed at least one prior philosophy subject.
Last updated: 11 April 2024
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
Subject readings will be available online
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Major Gender Studies Major Philosophy Major Philosophy Major - Breadth options
This subject is available as breadth in the following courses:
- Bachelor of Biomedicine
- Bachelor of Commerce
- Bachelor of Design
- Bachelor of Environments
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Animation)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Film and Television)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music Theatre)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Production)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Screenwriting)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Theatre)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Visual Art)
- Bachelor of Music
- Bachelor of Science
- Links to additional information
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
This subject is available to students studying at the University from eligible overseas institutions on exchange and study abroad. Students are required to satisfy any listed requirements, such as pre- and co-requisites, for enrolment in the subject.
Last updated: 11 April 2024