Gender studies
Gender studies is an interdisciplinary field that examines power relations, inequality, resource allocation and norms in society. The starting point is that gender plays a role for societal structure and for the conditions and opportunities of individuals.
In order to understand how power relations are maintained and how society changes, we need to examine our surrounding world from a gender studies perspective, for instance, cultural manifestations, societal institutions, politics, knowledge production, media, the organising of work, and family constellations – locally and globally, in our time as well as historically.
Gender studies is based on feminist theories that have been developed during the last few decades. Even though gender as societal structure and power relations between women and are central, we must also understand how gender interact with other factors like, for instance, sexuality, ethnicity, age, and class.
To our help, we have methods, theories and concepts from a number of different fields and disciplines like, for instance, ethnology, history, comparative literature, political science, biology, philosophy, social anthropology, law, and sociology. In this way, gender studies transcend disciplinary boundaries and raise questions about the links between power and knowledge.
Gender studies is one of three subjects at the department of social studies. The other two are peace and development studies and sociology.
Education
At Linnaeus University, you can study gender studies remotely and part-time.
We currently offer the course “Gender studies, basic course” worth 30 ECTS credits. The course is delivered entirely online via the university’s learning platform and is studied part-time over the course of one year. This makes it easy to combine with other studies or work! It is also possible to take the course’s four modules as independent courses worth 7.5 ECTS credits each: “Introduction to gender studies”, “Gender and work in global perspectives”, “Gender, culture and identity”, “Gender, politics and rights.”
During your studies, you will become familiar with a broad range of social and cultural theoretical approaches focusing on complex power relations – from feminist theory and politics to queer theory and postcolonial studies. You will also gain tools to critically examine scientific studies and research.
Competence in gender analysis and equality, especially when combined with other university subjects, is in demand across many sectors of the labor market.
The ability to analyze and critically assess activities and information from a gender perspective is sought after in the public sector, organizations, and private enterprises alike.
Research in gender studies
Within the interdisciplinary field of gender studies, research is carried out on power relations, inequality and norms based on both societal theory and cultural theory perspectives.
Questions being studied by researchers linked to the subject include religion and family relations, masculinity and nationalism, gender and femininity creation within sports, inclusive design based on transtheoretical perspectives, and work relations and equality policy in the Global South.