| Unit name | Sex, Gender and Law |
|---|---|
| Unit code | LAWD30110 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Bibbings |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | University of Bristol Law School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
This unit seeks to develop a critical understanding of gender studies and law. It explores the extent to which law is based on and reinforces sexist and hetero-sexist assumptions and hence discriminates (largely) against women, gay men and lesbians, but also against men who fail to meet hegemonic standards of masculinity. It draws upon feminist and masculinity theory as well as theories of sexuality and the sexed body from a number of different disciplines. The unit begins by examining theoretical issues in gender and the law, identifying a number of unit themes. The seminars then apply and expand these theories in relation to a few specific legal topics. Topics include: regulating the body and sexuality; criminal law and criminal justice; policing sex.
By the end of the unit, a successful student will be able to explain:
a) the basic theories of sex, gender etc;
b) the relevance of these theories to legal studies
c) the application of these theories to specific topic areas studied;, In relation to c) they should be able to: explain the different approaches to sex and gender etc (essentialist, social constructionist etc) and discuss them in relation to, for example, criminal law and criminal justice and other topics studied. They should also be able to explain and analyse theories of masculinities and femininities and sexualities in general as well as in the context of specific topics like the family and family law. Students should be able to critically assess both theories and the law and discuss potential solutions to any problems with current law and social policy, including the usefulness or otherwise of law reform. This unit is also intended to improve benchmark skills – specifically research skills.
The essay questions are designed to assess both whether students are able to understand and apply the ideas about sex and gender etc across the breadth of the syllabus, and whether they were able to think critically about sex, gender and law.
10 2 hour seminars
2 x 2,500 word essays - 50%
H. Kennedy Eve was Framed (Vintage: London, 2005); C. Smart Feminism and the Power of Law (London: Routledge, 1989); R. Hunter, C. McGlynn, E. Rackley (eds) Feminist Judgements: From Theory to Practice (Hart: London, 2010); L. Bibbings ‘Heterosexuality as Harm: Fitting In’ in D. Gordon, P. Hillyard, C. Pantazis, S. Tombs Beyond Criminology: Taking Harm Seriously (Pluto Press, 2004); L. Bibbings ‘Images of Manliness: The Portrayal of Soldiers and Conscientious Objectors in the Great War’ (2003) 12(3) Social and Legal Studies 335-358.
