Dean's Office, College of Arts

The major in Sexualities, Genders and Social Change considers the breadth and depth of scholarly inquiry relating to human identity, embodiment, and self-expression. This program explores theories drawn from the fields of feminism, postcolonial and decolonial studies, transnationalism, LGBTQ+, queer and sexuality studies, critical race, queer of colour, and critical whiteness studies, indigenous studies, masculinities, and (dis)abilities among many others. Students engage with subject matter and methods from across the Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, and Business, gaining the skills and knowledges necessary to serve as twenty-first century leaders in driving meaningful social change.

Learning Outcomes

Community Engagement and Global Understanding

• Demonstrate an awareness of the complex intersections between factors such as gender, sexuality, race, class, age, and ability in an intercultural context.
• Identify the myriad economic, social, political, environmental, historical, and cultural factors that affect the ways people experience genders and sexualities both locally and globally.
• Recognise the relationship between personal and structural formations of identity, privilege, and power with an eye toward overcoming systemic inequality.
• Apply theories of sexualities and genders to the act of meaningful, transformative community activism and global engagement.

Critical and Creative Thinking

• Apply feminist and queer methodological approaches from multi-disciplinary sectors to address current social, political, and environmental problems.
• Critique current artistic, social, and political processes related to the construction of gender and sexuality.
• Critically dissect representations of genders and sexualities in a variety of forms (film, fine art, literature, and so on) from a variety of disciplinary perspectives.
• Understand the importance of self-expression to the establishment of identities and describe how creative and scholarly activity can lead to social change.

Literacy and Communication

• Articulate key concepts, terminology, and theoretical frameworks in the areas of gender and queer studies and describe how this language has shifted across time and place.
• Identify and critically evaluate feminist and queer methodologies and explain their role in building knowledge and policy
• Demonstrate proficiency in writing, oral, and creative modes of communication to discuss sexualities and genders to a range of communities and audiences
• Understand the range of modalities for expressing feminist and queer projects, lives, and politics.

Evaluate and Conduct Research

• Synthesize, integrate, and critically evaluate complex ideas related to sexualities and genders.
• Incorporate feminist, queer, and other critical theories from a variety of disciplines to develop, design, and implement research, using interdisciplinary techniques, methods, and theories.
• Understand and express the role of personal biases, privilege, and power dynamics in constructing research methodologies with the goal of using research findings to instigate social change.

Depth and Breadth of Understanding

• Demonstrate an understanding of the fields of sexuality and gender studies from a variety of disciplinary perspectives.
• Engage with the community and understand the importance of bridging academic study with an eye toward transformative community change.
• Recognise both the importance and limitations of multi-disciplinary approaches to research on sexualities and genders.
• Develop a self-reflexive awareness of the need to seek out flexible and diverse solutions , a process that requires continual renewal.

Professional Development and Ethical Behavior

• Demonstrate through leadership the value of inclusive practices for fostering positive collaborative and professional environments.
• Demonstrate the importance of continual self-reflection and respect for the ever-evolving terminology and methodologies related to sexualities and genders.
• Illustrate the necessity for connecting scholarly endeavor with community action in creating a more equitable and inclusive world.

Area of Emphasis Learning Outcomes

Politics and Power

Literacy and Communication

• Articulate key concepts, terminology, and theoretical frameworks and describe how this language has shifted across time and place.
• Critically evaluate how key theories and methodologies are implicated in building knowledge and policy.

Depth and Breadth of Understanding

• Demonstrate how History, Philosophy, and Political Science (and their related fields) mobilise and are informed by feminist and queer theories.
• Develop an awareness of the potential and limitations in seeking out new and diverse research perspectives.

Critical and Creative Thinking

• Dissect representations of genders and sexualities from a variety of cultural, historical, and political perspectives.
• Critique current social, and political processes related to the construction of gender and sexuality.

Creativity and Expression

Literacy and Communication

• Mobilise key concepts and theoretical frameworks in a creative, expressive manner.
• Demonstrate awareness of how these concepts and artistic practices have emerged over time and cultural contexts.

Depth and Breadth of Understanding

• Demonstrate how languages, media, and artistic practices mobilise, and are informed by, feminist and queer theories.
• Develop an awareness of the potential and limitations in seeking out new and diverse perspectives.

Critical and Creative Thinking

• Understand the importance of self-expression to the establishment of identities and describe how creative and scholarly activity can lead to social change.
• Critically dissect representations of genders and sexualities in a variety of forms (film, fine art, literature, and so on) from a variety of perspectives.
• Critique current artistic processes related to the construction of gender and sexuality.

Major Requirements (Honours)

This is a major within the degree: Bachelor of Arts. 

A minimum of 9.00 credits is required, including:

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
1. Sexualities, Genders and Social Change Core
Required (4.00 credits):
SXGN*1000	Introduction to Sexualities and Genders	0.50
SXGN*1010	Sexuality, Gender, Race, and Indigeneity	0.50
SXGN*2000	Sexualities and Genders: Research Methodologies	0.50
SXGN*2010	Theorising Sexualities and Genders	0.50
SXGN*3000	Social Change: Acts of Resistance	0.50
SXGN*3010	Experiential Learning in Sexualities and Genders: Transforming Community	0.50
SXGN*4000	Honours Capstone Project in Community Engagement and Advocacy	1.00
2. Social Theory Courses
Select 1.00 credits from the following
ANTH*2180	Public Anthropology	0.50
ANTH*3770	Kinship, Family, and Power	0.50
FRHD*1020	Couple and Family Relationships	0.50
FRHD*2100	Development of Human Sexuality	0.50
GEOG*3090	Gender and Environment	0.50
IDEV*1000	Understanding Development and Global Inequalities	0.50
IDEV*2400	Development, Social Justice and Human Rights	0.50
SOAN*2400	Introduction to Gender Systems	0.50
SOAN*3100	Gender Perspectives on Families and Households	0.50
SOAN*3240	Gender and Global Inequality I	0.50
SOAN*4230	Gender and Global Inequality II	0.50
UNIV*2010	Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Oppression	0.50
3. Leadership for Social Change Courses
Select 1.00 credits from the following:
HROB*2010	Foundations of Leadership	0.50
HROB*2090	Individuals and Groups in Organizations	0.50
HROB*3090	Training and Development	0.50
MGMT*2150	Introduction to Canadian Business Management	0.50
MGMT*2500	Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship	0.50
MGMT*3020	Principles of Responsible Organizations	0.50
4. Areas of Emphasis
A. Politics and Power
Select 1.00 credits from Histories of Sexuality and Gender:
CLAS*1000	Introduction to Classical Culture	0.50
EURO*2200	Gender and Modernism in Europe	0.50
HIST*2240	Women, War and Nation	0.50
HIST*2930	Women and Cultural Change	0.50
HIST*3020	Sexuality and Gender in History	0.50
HIST*3580	Women's History in Asia	0.50
HUMN*3400	Renaissance Lovers and Fools	0.50
Select 1.00 credits from Philosophies of Sexuality and Gender:
PHIL*1030	Sex, Love, and Friendship	0.50
PHIL*2060	Philosophy of Feminism I	0.50
PHIL*4060	Current Debates in Feminist Philosophy	0.50
PSYC*2310	Social Psychology	0.50
PSYC*3300	Psychology of Gender	0.50
Select 1.00 credits from Politics of Sexuality and Gender:
JLS*1000	Introduction to Justice & Law	0.50
POLS*2100	Comparative Politics	0.50
POLS*2150	Gender and Politics	0.50
POLS*3160	Global Gender Justice	0.50
POLS*3710	Gender, Sexuality and Law	0.50
B. Creativity and Expression
Select 1.00 credits from Reading Sexuality and Gender (Languages and Literatures):
ENGL*2130	Seminar: Literature and Social Change	0.50
ENGL*2190	Queer Literatures and Cultures	0.50
ENGL*2280	Sporting Bodies	0.50
ENGL*2880	Women in Literature	0.50
FREN*3130	Representing the Self	0.50
FREN*3140	Women in Literature, Art and Film	0.50
Select 1.00 credits from Analysing Sexuality and Gender (Arts and Media):
ARTH*3780	Gender and Art	0.50
MUSC*1060	Amadeus to Zeppelin: Music and Culture I	0.50
MUSC*2150	Music and Popular Culture	0.50
MUSC*2330	Beethoven to Broadway: Music and Culture II	0.50
MUSC*3630	Tragedy, Technology, and Torture: Music Post 1900	0.50
MUSC*3740	Topics in Popular Music Studies	1.00
THST*1200	The Languages of Media	0.50
THST*2450	Approaches to Media Studies	0.50
THST*2650	History of Communication	0.50
Select 1.00 credits from Sexuality and Gender (Creative Practice):
CTS*1000	Culture and Technology: Keywords	0.50
CTS*2010	Digital Approaches to Culture	0.50
CTS*3000	Data and Difference	0.50
CTS*3010	Digital Arts & Critical Making	0.50
ENGL*2920	Elements of Creative Writing	0.50
SART*1050	Foundation Studio	0.50
SART*1060	Core Studio	0.50
SART*2800	Experimental Studio I	0.50
SART*3770	Experimental Studio II	0.50
THST*1040	Introduction to Performance	0.50
THST*2120	Writing for Performance	0.50
THST*3140	Performance and the Past	0.50

Additional applied courses in MUSC, THST, and SART may be counted, pending faculty approval. Please note that some courses in MUSC and THST require the successful completion of an audition.

Minor Requirements (Honours)

This minor cannot be combined with a major in Sexualities, Genders and Social Change.

A minimum of 5.00 credits is required, including:

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
SXGN*1000	Introduction to Sexualities and Genders	0.50
SXGN*1010	Sexuality, Gender, Race, and Indigeneity	0.50
SXGN*2000	Sexualities and Genders: Research Methodologies	0.50
SXGN*2010	Theorising Sexualities and Genders	0.50
SXGN*3000	Social Change: Acts of Resistance	0.50

 An additional 2.50 credits in SXGN courses or any approved restricted electives from the above Social Theory; Leadership for Social Change; Politics and Power; or Creativity and Expression course lists.

Additional courses may be counted, pending faculty approval.