Vår 2025

ENG-2129 Gender and Sexuality in Literature - 10 stp

The course is administrated by

Institutt for språk og kultur

Type of course

This course is intended for students who belong to the BA in English and students who belong to the teacher's education (lektorutdanning trinn 8-13). It can also be taken as a single course. A good command of oral and written English is recommended.

Course contents

Historically and in the present, gender and sexuality have been constructed and maintained through the application of social norms and restrictions. While heteronormative and patriarchal cultures have insisted on prescribed roles and behaviors for men and women, individuals have found ways to subvert and defy these norms. Meanwhile, ongoing developments in feminism and the rise of gender and queer studies have led to reassessments of the ways in which gender roles are acted out and performed. This course addresses these issues as they are related to literature. Topics include (but are not limited to) the relationship between gender and literary genre; literary responses to constructions of femininity and masculinity; and transgressive sexuality in past and current literary texts.

Admission requirements

Higher Education Entrance Qualification (generell studiekompetanse) or prior learning and work experience (realkompetanse). A good command of oral and written English is recommended.

Objective of the course

The students have the following learning outcomes:

Knowledge

The student has:

broad knowledge of key topics in gender and sexuality studies and their role in literary works
familiarity with past and current attitudes toward particular aspects of gender and sexuality through their literary representations
has insight into past and contemporary issues and debates concerning the ways in which gender roles and sexual norms have been constructed and upheld. ¿

Skills

The student is able to / can:

apply the concepts introduced in the course in analyzing particular literary texts
find, evaluate and refer to scholarly sources concerning the texts in question
communicate and express ideas in both oral and written form using concepts and terms presented in the course
understand the significance of the topics and issues presented to their ongoing studies of literature and culture.

Language of instruction

Language of instruction and examination: English.

Teaching methods

The course takes place for one 13-week term and meets once (a two-hour session) per week. Teaching methods will include lectures, class discussions, and independent study.

Quality assurance: All courses will be evaluated once during the period of the study program. The board of the program decides which courses will be evaluated by students and teacher each year.