Overview

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Conceptualizations of sex have played a fundamental part in the development of evolutionary theories in biology and psychology. At the same time, feminist critiques of these conceptualizations have been a major factor in the development of Feminist Science Studies. The interactions amongst these three approaches are examined, including methodologies, communities of practice and societal implications. Breadth-Hum/Social Sci/Science.

COURSE DETAILS:

How many sexes are there? Are sex differences determined by the brain, by hormones, by genes, by genitals, by social environment, by some combination of these factors, or by something else entirely?  Is sexuality a product of nature, nurture, or both?  Is biological sex fixed or can it change over time? What are the values, assumptions, and beliefs that shape these questions and what is at stake in the answers we provide?

This third-year course critically examines the social, material, political, and technological intersections of science and sex. It asks: What do we know about sex and sexuality, what don’t we know, and how do we come to know (or not know) it? Drawing together readings and media from biology, anthropology, philosophy, history, feminist and indigenous science studies, queer theory, critical race theory, and the literary and performing arts, we will explore a range of questions, including (but not limited to): What is the biology – as a scientific matter and as bodily matter – of sex and gender? What can (or can’t) animals such as promiscuous primates or monogamous voles tell us about human sex, gender, and sexuality? How are scientific values such as objectivity, discovery, or universality engaged in producing and naturalizing gendered, classed, or racialized differences? What other approaches to thinking and doing sex exist within and beyond the sciences, and how might they alter, challenge, or subvert dominant regimes of knowledge production about sexual difference? How do the social contexts and meanings of categories such as monogamy, masculinity, or asexuality shape scientific research questions and practices? In turn, how does scientific research influence our understandings and experiences of these categories and the people (or animals or plants or bacteria) who fall into with them?  What role do technologies such as hormones, PET scans, or vibrators play in shaping our definitions and experiences of our bodies’ sex?

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

For more detailed information please see the GSWS website: http://www.sfu.ca/gsws/undergraduate/courses/Educational_Goals.html

Grading

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

REQUIRED READING NOTES: