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 166-054 The Body and the State: New Approaches in Political and Legal Theory

Note

Formerly available as 166-434. Students who have completed 166-434 are not eligible to enrol in this subject.

Availability

4th year

Credit Points

12.5

Coordinator

Sheila Jeffreys

Prerequisites

Admission to fourth year Honours in Political Science.

Semester

Not Offered (view timetable)

Contact

A 2-hour seminar per week

Subject Description

This subject looks at feminist and lesbian and gay political and legal theory on the body, sexuality and state regulation. It will consider issues at the cutting edge of change in the law and in feminist, queer and postmodern theory. These include cloning and genetic technology, the lesbian and gay family, bisexuality, paedophilia, cosmetic surgery and body modification. The seminar will use insights of theorists such as Shane Phelan, Carl Stychin, Ruthann Robson, Carol Pateman, Catharine MacKinnon, Judith Butler, Davina Cooper. It will consider the usefulness of the ideas of gender, choice and transgression, whether the body is real, and what constitutes sexual violence. Students who complete this subject should: be able to analyse critically different perspectives within political and legal theory on the body and sexuality; be able to critically assess the ways in which such issues as genetic technology, lesbian and gay rights are currently approached within legal theory and practice; be able to suggest change in these areas which will advance the human rights of women, lesbians and gay men.

Assessment

A research essay of 5000 words.



Search : Index : Faculty of Arts : Political Science
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