This is an archived course. A more recent version may be available at ocw.mit.edu.

Sexual and Gender Identities

Transgender symbol, combining the traditional male and female symbols.

The transgender symbol. (Image by MIT OpenCourseWare.)

Instructor(s)

MIT Course Number

WGS.110

As Taught In

Fall 2010

Level

Undergraduate

Course Description

Course Features

Course Description

This course introduces scholarly debates about sexual identities, gender identities and expressions, and sexual orientation and its representation in film and literature. We begin with a contemporary debate about biology and gender identity, considering its relationship to the historical understanding of sex, gender, and sexual identity. Our investigation continues with the theoretical underpinnings of the emerging field of queer studies, from the nineteenth century to the present day, and considers how subsequent work in transgender studies continues to challenge traditional understandings of sex, gender, and sexuality.

Other Versions

Related Content

K.J. Surkan. WGS.110 Sexual and Gender Identities. Fall 2010. Massachusetts Institute of Technology: MIT OpenCourseWare, https://ocw.mit.edu. License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA.


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