Gender inequality is a key challenge in society. Explore its causes and consequences and consider the ways you can overcome it. Explore gender inequality in the workplace, family, and society. Gender equality and the empowerment of women is a United Nations Sustainable Development Goal, and has been thrust into the spotlight with the recent #MeToo movement and HeForShe campaign.
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On this course, you will understand the nature and consequences of gender inequality at work, in the family context, and in the media. You will also address what has been done to challenge gender inequality, and what still needs to happen in the future.
The University of Exeter brings an interdisciplinary perspective to the course that will build your awareness of gender issues and the ways to tackle it.
What topics will you cover?
- Exploring ‘gender’ (as a construction in its binary and non-binary forms) and ‘(in)equality’ (in a legal and social sense), recognizing it as needing to be understood as intersectional, and both transnationally and as geographically/culturally located. This includes: the effect of tradition, social expectations, language, culture, masculinities and femininities, everyday practices and structures.
- Exploring the ‘how’ of gender inequality in the context of the workplace (including political roles) – to cover gendered job roles, pay gap, opportunity and promotion (e.g. glass cliffs and glass ceilings), sexual harassment at work, confidence and leadership, political representation.
- Exploring the ‘how’ of gender inequality in the context of the family and society – to cover the gender imbalance of domestic/caring roles, representations in media (incl. film and books) and the impact on body image, violence towards and control of women.
- Challenging gender equality – exploring how things are changing and what else can be done. To include: changing awareness, changing the language, changing attitudes and changing structures. This will cover campaigns (e.g. #MeToo #HeForShe), legislation, practices (e.g. increasing participation in STEMM, training), measures, quotas and reporting (e.g. the Gender Pay Gap).
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Explain what is meant by ‘gender (in)equality’ and its core terms.
- Describe how practices of gender inequality are sustained through gendered discourse and practice.
- Discuss specific types of inequality (in the workplace, home and society at large) and their outcomes.
- Identify and articulate practices that can effectively challenge and overcome gender inequality.
