240227 VO EC-Advanced Module VO Particular Questions of Gender Studies in Social Sciences (3 ECTS) (2026S)
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Registration/Deregistration
Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).
Details
max. 80 participants
Language: German
Examination dates
Lecturers
Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N
- Thursday 26.03. 15:00 - 18:15 Hörsaal 31 Hauptgebäude, 1.Stock, Stiege 9
- N Thursday 23.04. 15:00 - 18:15 Hörsaal 31 Hauptgebäude, 1.Stock, Stiege 9
- Thursday 07.05. 15:00 - 18:15 Hörsaal 31 Hauptgebäude, 1.Stock, Stiege 9
- Thursday 21.05. 15:00 - 18:15 Hörsaal 31 Hauptgebäude, 1.Stock, Stiege 9
- Thursday 25.06. 18:30 - 20:00 Hörsaal 31 Hauptgebäude, 1.Stock, Stiege 9
Information
Aims, contents and method of the course
Assessment and permitted materials
- Written final exam (100%) on site (exam duration: 60 minutes).
- Exam date: Thu, 25 June 2026, 18:30–19:30, HS 31 (on site).
- Opportunity to improve the grade: two additional dates will take place in the fall. They will be announced in u:find and on Moodle.Permitted aids: No aids are permitted during the exam. The use of AI tools for learning is at your own discretion. AI-generated results may not be incorporated into the exam performance.Accessibility and alternative examination methods: Students with an approved alternative examination method must present the corresponding documentation. For organisational implementation, please contact the SSC; the ‘Team Barrierefrei’ supports the application process.
- Exam date: Thu, 25 June 2026, 18:30–19:30, HS 31 (on site).
- Opportunity to improve the grade: two additional dates will take place in the fall. They will be announced in u:find and on Moodle.Permitted aids: No aids are permitted during the exam. The use of AI tools for learning is at your own discretion. AI-generated results may not be incorporated into the exam performance.Accessibility and alternative examination methods: Students with an approved alternative examination method must present the corresponding documentation. For organisational implementation, please contact the SSC; the ‘Team Barrierefrei’ supports the application process.
Minimum requirements and assessment criteria
Of three exam questions, two must be answered. One question must be omitted. Up to 5 points can be earned per question—10 points in total. A minimum of 5 points is required to pass.Grading scheme:
1 (excellent): 10 points
2 (good): 8–9 points
3 (satisfactory): 6–7 points
4 (sufficient): 5 points
5 (insufficient): 0–4 points
1 (excellent): 10 points
2 (good): 8–9 points
3 (satisfactory): 6–7 points
4 (sufficient): 5 points
5 (insufficient): 0–4 points
Examination topics
Exam material comprises all topics covered in the lecture as documented in the lecture slides. The base texts serve to deepen and explain the lecture topics and are not examinable.
The lecture slides are made available on Moodle.
The lecture slides are made available on Moodle.
Reading list
Recommended literature: Several base texts to deepen the lecture topics are provided on Moodle, drawn, among others, from the following works:
Connell, R. W. (2005/1995). Masculinities. Cambridge: Polity.
Degele, Nina (2008). Gender, Queer Studies: eine Einführung. Paderborn: Fink.
Kortendiek, Beate / Riegraf, Birgit / Sabisch, Katja (eds.) (2019). Handbuch interdisziplinäre Geschlechterforschung. 2 volumes. Wiesbaden: Springer VS.
Löffler, Marion (2011). Feministische Staatstheorien. Eine Einführung. Frankfurt/New York: Campus.
Rosenberger, Sieglinde K. / Sauer, Birgit (eds.) (2004). Politikwissenschaft und Geschlecht. Konzepte – Verknüpfungen – Perspektiven. Vienna: WUV Facultas.
Connell, R. W. (2005/1995). Masculinities. Cambridge: Polity.
Degele, Nina (2008). Gender, Queer Studies: eine Einführung. Paderborn: Fink.
Kortendiek, Beate / Riegraf, Birgit / Sabisch, Katja (eds.) (2019). Handbuch interdisziplinäre Geschlechterforschung. 2 volumes. Wiesbaden: Springer VS.
Löffler, Marion (2011). Feministische Staatstheorien. Eine Einführung. Frankfurt/New York: Campus.
Rosenberger, Sieglinde K. / Sauer, Birgit (eds.) (2004). Politikwissenschaft und Geschlecht. Konzepte – Verknüpfungen – Perspektiven. Vienna: WUV Facultas.
Association in the course directory
Last modified: Fr 30.01.2026 09:26
This lecture introduces social-scientific conceptions of gender and situates “gender” as an analytical and political category in the historical and contemporary context of women’s movements and feminisms. Divergent conceptions of the category of gender are presented with regard to their respective analytical potential. The focus is on how different research approaches in the social sciences employ the category of gender.
Upon successful completion, students will be familiar with central gender concepts as well as theoretical currents and controversies in the social sciences. They will be able to classify different conceptions of gender as an analytical tool within social-scientific strategies of knowledge production and assess their use; they will possess foundational knowledge of theoretical and methodological approaches and be able to apply it to their own research interests.Content:
Over the course of the lecture, students will become acquainted with different conceptions of “gender” and relate them to one another. We ask what epistemic potential various approaches possess and where their limits lie. Using selected fields – such as intersectionality, masculinity studies, or democratic theory – we discuss how gender and power can be thought together. Following an introduction to the theoretical development of each approach, we discuss it using concrete research questions. We will devote ourselves, by way of example, to the following topics: sexism and homophobia; gender and nation; gendered division of labor; gender and racism; political representation; masculinities and violence.
The aim of the course is to convey theoretical and methodological foundations of social-scientific gender studies. Students will be enabled to select gender conceptions in line with their own research questions and epistemic interests and integrate them into a research approach. Methods of critical discourse analysis and feminist institutional analysis will be presented using concrete research projects. Practice-oriented research questions may include: How are mechanisms of exclusion based on gender conveyed linguistically, and which hidden discourses might they serve as an entry point for? In which discursive strategies does the category of gender come into play, and how can this be deciphered?Teaching and learning methods:
-Specialist lecture with structured introduction to theories and concepts
-Discussion and targeted group work for deepening and application
-Text readings and sample analyses
-Illustration of methodological approaches using concrete research projects
The lecture takes place on site. Attendance is not compulsory. Active participation in discussions and text readings is recommended to best support learning progress.