SUBJECT

Title

Sexual minorities

Type of instruction

seminar

Level

master

Part of degree program
Credits

5

Recommended in

Semester 4

Typically offered in

Spring semester

Course description

The aim of the course is to introduce students to the social and legal situation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI people) in contemporary European societies. The course will use an interdisciplinary perspective combining social scientific insights with a human rights based public policy approach. Students will get familiar with the fundamental theoretical debates concerning sexual and gender identities, understand the social and cultural roots of cis/heteronormativity, learn about international human rights norms concerning sexual orientation and gender identity, and analyze current social and policy debates concerning their implementation. The course will improve students’ ability to think critically on controversial social issues, apply social research in solving policy problems, and acquire practical skills for effective human rights advocacy.

Readings
  • Jagose, Annamarie (1997): Queer Theory: An Introduction. Chapter 2: “Theorizing Same-sex Desire”, Melbourne University Press, pp. 7-21.
  • Garfinkel, H (1967) “Passing and the managed achievement of sex status in an intersexed person”. In: Studies in Ethnomethodology, Polity, pp. 116-186.
  • Young, Iris Marion (1990): “Five Faces of Oppression.” In: Justice and the Politics of Difference, Princeton University Press, pp. 39-65.
  • Ken Plummer (1996): “Symbolic Interactionism and the Forms of Homosexuality.” In: Steven Seidman (ed.): Queer Theory/Sociology, Wiley-Blackwell, pp. 64-82.
  • Institute of Medicine (2013): “Conducting research on the health status of LGBT populations.” In: The Health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People: Building a Foundation for Better Understanding, pp. 89-139.
  • Council of Europe Commissioner for Fundamental Rights (2011): Discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity in Europe, pp. 41-61.