PACIFIC 307 Special Topic: Gender and the Pacific in a Globalising World - Course Outlines

Course Prescription

Gender affects the way identity, culture and wellbeing is experienced and navigated in the Pacific. Moreover, these processes are complicated by emerging cosmopolitanisms that impact gendered bodies, cultures, institutions, nations and states. This course examines the intersections of race, sex, biology, ableism, colonialism, nationality, politics and social movements in our constructions/understanding of gender in a Pacific and global context.

Course Overview

Gender is a contested construct that manifests, articulates and produces hierarchical inequities in the way individuals are situated and experience the world. As a concept and praxis, gender intersects with many transnational power-configurations that are structured around race, sexuality, indigeneity, colonialism/postcolonialism, masculinities, capitalism and development, abled/disabled bodies etc. All of which impacts the formation of social identities, as well as health and wellbeing outcomes. In this course, students will be introduced to key theoretical concepts around gender and sexuality from an interdisciplinary lens with a focus on the Pacific. Students will also be encouraged to apply theoretical concepts to real-world contemporary debates that cross-cut borders and disciplines such as climate change, human rights, gender based violence, decolonization, religion, migration and Pacific diasporas.

Course Aims:

To provide students with an advanced level introduction to key concepts in gender studies as it relates to Pacific bodies, societies and nation-states;

To provide students with substantive and theoretical tools to be able to connect Pacific peoples' understandings and practice of gender to global conversations;

To provide students with a learning space that enables them to critically engage and discuss the multiple impacts of gender;

To further develop students’ ability to craft well-structured and articulated critical arguments around debates in gender studies and the Pacific.

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: 30 points passed at Stage II Restriction: PACIFIC 208

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

Demonstrate an understanding of key concepts in gender studies (Capability 1.1, 1.3, 2.1 and 6.1)
Demonstrate ability to to apply key concepts in gender studies to different global contexts (Capability 1.2, 1.3 and 3.2)
Demonstrate ability to critically engage with debates in gender studies in view of the Pacific (Capability 1.3, 2.3, 6.1 and 6.2)
Demonstrate improvement in ability to construct and articulate arguments through their writing assignments. (Capability 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3 and 5.2)

Assessments

Assessment Type	Percentage	Classification
Assignments	100%	Individual Coursework
	100%

Next offered

Semester 2, 2020

Module

Introduction: Key Concepts in Gender Studies

Module 1: Gendered Bodies

1.1. Mapping Gendered Bodies Across the Pacific

1.2. Pacific Maternities

1.3. Pacific Masculinities

1.4. Marking Femininity and Womanhood through Pacific Tattoing

1.5. The Dusky Maiden

1.6. The Noble Savage

1.7. MVPFAFF and Gender Liminal Bodies

Module 2: Gendered Societies

2.1. Gendered Pacific Societies

2.2. Religion and Gender in the Pacific

2.3. Gender and Disabilities in the Pacific

2.4. Gender and Material Culture of Pacific Societies (Part 1)

2.5. Gender and Material Culture of Pacific Societies (Part 2)

2.6. Intersectionality and Pacific Women in New Zealand

2.7. Intersecting discrimination: Pacific Queer Bodies in New Zealand

Module 3: Gendered Nation-states

3.1. The State, Gender and the Pacific

3.2. Marriage Equality and the Pacific

3.3. Gender-Based Violence (GBV)

3.4. Gender and Climate Change

3.5. Women and Development

3.6. Gender and Human Rights in the Pacific

Conclusion and Course Wrap-up

Learning Resources

All readings provided through Canvas.

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 2 hours of lectures, a 1 hour tutorial, 4 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 3 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.

Other Information

Assignments:

1 x 3000 word essay (60%)

1 x group project (20%)

4 x 500 word reflection responses (20%)

Digital Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website at http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Well-being always comes first
We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - for more information, look at this Canvas page (https://canvas.auckland.ac.nz/courses/33894), which has links to various support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter (https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html).

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.

Capability 1:	Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 2:	Critical Thinking
Capability 3:	Solution Seeking
Capability 4:	Communication and Engagement
Capability 5:	Independence and Integrity
Capability 6:	Social and Environmental Responsibilities

PACIFIC 307 : Special Topic: Gender and the Pacific in a Globalising World

Arts

2020 Semester Two (1205) (15 POINTS)