Last chance to study this subject for 2025—enrol by 20 July
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Sex and Gender Matters
UndergraduateMUR-POL2262025
Improve your understanding of whether society helps construct gender and sexuality. Look back at the rise of the feminist and sexual liberation movements. Contemplate the ways in which sex and gender are linked to life, happiness and justice.
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Enrol by
- 20 July 2025
- Entry requirements
- Prior study needed
- Duration
- 13 weeks
- Start dates
- 23 June 2025,
- 28 July 2025
- Price from
- $2,125
- Upfront cost
- $0
- Loan available
- HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP available
Sex and Gender Matters
About this subject
On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:
- Critically appraise theoretical approaches to sex, gender and sexuality
- Devise policy recommendations or other strategies that promote equality and social justice
- Critically reflect on understandings and experiences of gender in your discipline or profession
- Communicate clearly, using specified disciplinary conventions, both verbally and in writing
- The sex/gender distinction
- Waves of feminism
- Intersectionality and race
- Social reproduction theory
- Masculinities
- Hegemony and crisis
- Queer theory
- The transgender tipping point
- Gender, aid and development
- Environment, land and conflict
- Women peace and security
- Misogyny and violent extremism
NOTE: If you study this subject in Winter, the subject will be a shorter duration (5 weeks) and will require at least 20 hours of study per week.
Despite rumours to the contrary, the need to understand the politics of sex and gender is only increasing in the 2020s. The #MeeToo movement, transgender tipping points, crises of masculinity, persistent inequality and misogynist violence are all pressing issues of our time.
This subject covers major theoretical approaches to sex, gender, and sexuality; especially feminist approaches. The first half focuses develops analytical tools for understanding and debating significant contemporary issues. The second half of the subject considers how feminist approaches can be used in disciplines of development studies, policy, security studies and political economy. In the final assignment, students are asked to write a research essay on a topic related to their major, applying one of the approaches taught in this subject.
Please Note: All students studying at Murdoch University will need to complete the compulsory unit, Murdoch Academic Passport (MAP100), which only takes 2-3 hours to complete online. Find out more: http://goto.murdoch.edu.au/MurdochAcademicPassport.
- Major Essay (50%)
- Creative Social Media Post (30%)
- Essay Plan (20%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
This research-based university in Perth has a strong interdisciplinary focus and a reputation for outstanding teaching and ground-breaking research. With more than 25,000 students and 2,400 staff from over 90 countries, and campuses in Dubai and Singapore, Murdoch embraces free thinking, shared ideas and knowledge to make a difference, and Open Universities Australia is certainly part of that.
Learn more about Murdoch University.
Explore Murdoch courses.
- QS World University Ranking 2025, within Australia:
- 26
- Times Higher Education World University Ranking 2025, within Australia:
- 31
Entry requirements
Equivalent subjects
You should not enrol in this subject if you have successfully completed any of the following subject(s) because they are considered academically equivalent:
MUR-POL216 (Not currently available)
Others
Level 2 subjects normally assume an introductory level of prior knowledge in this area. Students must have completed 18 credit points (6 OUA subjects) at Level 1 before enrolling in this subject.
Additional requirements
No additional requirements
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
Equivalent full time study load (EFTSL) is one way to calculate your study load. One (1.0) EFTSL is equivalent to a full-time study load for one year.
Find out more information on Commonwealth Loans to understand what this means to your eligibility for financial support.
What to study next?
Once you’ve completed this subject it can be credited towards one of the following courses
UndergraduateMUR-BAR-DEG
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