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ENG31990

Academic Year 2026/2027

Reading Gender and Sexuality (ENG31990)

Subject:
English
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
English, Drama & Film
Level:
3 (Degree)
Credits:
10
Module Coordinator:
Assoc Professor Anne Mulhall
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

In this module, we will explore some key LGBTQ works of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. As well as considering these works within the political and cultural moments and movements that they have been part of, we will explore the ways in which gender and sexuality, the body and desire, are constructed in literary and cultural representation in the later 20th and 21st centuries. We will read a range of fiction and non-fiction texts in their political, social and cultural contexts using critical and theoretical frameworks that will enrich and deepen our understandings and analyses of literary texts. We will pay close attention to the way in which gender and sexuality are shaped by race, class, migration and other structures of power, paying attention to key concepts in feminist, gender, queer, race critical, and trans theory. We will explore the ways in which these texts engage, challenge and experiment with genre, form and the aesthetic in ways that express multiple queer, trans, feminist, and other minoritized ways of being. We will think about the relation between literary and cultural representation, social change, and identity.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module students should have:
- Familiarity with a variety of queer and trans literary and aesthetic modes and uses of genre and form;
- Awareness of major currents in queer, feminist and trans theories and methods of analysis and the ability to apply these in their analysis of literary texts;
- Awareness of how class, race, migration, place, and historical location inflect and shape understandings, regulations, and narratives of gender and sexuality;
- Awareness of how queer, trans and feminist literary narratives have contributed to queer, trans and feminist social movements;
- Awareness of how historical and cultural contexts shape the expression & regulation of gender and sexuality;
- Ability to discuss complex ideas in class and in written assignments;
- Ability to analyse texts with attention to contexts and conceptual frames;
- Ability to write an extended essay on a topic related to the module.

Indicative Module Content:

The key topics addressed in this module include:
- The development of queer and trans literature and representation from the 1970s to the present;
- The use of literary form and experimentation to give voice to marginalised lives and histories
- The intersections of race, migration, class, gender, and sexuality in 20th- and 21st-century culture and literature
- The relationship between the culture industries and marginalised people, especially in relation to publishing and audience
- The relationship between social movements and literary developments in relation to feminism and LGBTQ issues

UNESCO highlights a set of key competencies that support individuals in their development and support society in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UCD has adapted these competencies and is combining them with others to form a general framework of learning competencies. This module will help you develop the competencies below to the levels specified. 
Learning Competency Additional Information Level

Collaboration

 The ability to learn from others; to understand and respect the needs, perspectives and actions of others (empathy); to understand, relate to and be sensitive to others (empathic leadership); to deal with conflicts in a group; and to facilitate collaborative and participatory problem solving. Competent

Critical Thinking

 The ability to question norms, practices and opinions; to reflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions. Competent

Systems Thinking

 The ability to recognize and understand relationships; to analyse complex systems; to think of how systems are embedded within different domains and different scales; and to deal with uncertainty. Competent

Strategic

 The ability to collectively develop and implement innovative actions that further sustainability at the local level and further afield. Advanced Beginner

Integrated Problem Solving

 The overarching ability to apply different problem-solving frameworks to complex sustainability problems and develop viable, inclusive and equitable solution options that promote sustainable development, integrating the competencies in this list. Advanced Beginner

Self-awareness

 The ability to reflect on one’s own role in the local community and (global) society; to continually evaluate and further motivate one’s actions; and to deal with one’s feelings and desires. Competent

Normative

 The ability to understand and reflect on the norms and values that underlie one’s actions; and to negotiate values, principles, goals, and targets, in a context of conflicts of interest and trade-offs, uncertain knowledge and contradictions. Competent

Anticipatory

 The ability to understand and evaluate multiple scenarios for the future – possible, probable and desirable; to create one’s own visions for the future; to apply the precautionary principle; to assess the consequences of actions; and to deal with risks and changes. Competent

Digital Literacy and Judgement

 The ability to access, evaluate, create and communicate information in digital environments; to engage critically, ethically and responsibly with digital technologies and digital information; to understand their opportunities, limitations, risks and impact on individual’s digital identities; and to exercise informed judgement in digital participation and decision-making. Competent

AI Literacy & Agency

 The ability to understand, critically evaluate and responsibly engage with artificial intelligence; to recognise how AI systems are shaped by human values; to assess their ethical, social and environmental implications; and to exercise human judgement, agency and accountability in AI-related contexts. Competent

Wellbeing

 Wellbeing is having the resources and skills to meet life's challenges, including attributes such as personal development skills, resilience, stress management, strengths, lifestyle skills, nutrition, physical activity, sleep, alcohol/substance use, academic skills, time management, goal setting, interpersonal skills, group work, communication. Competent

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Specified Learning Activities

76
Autonomous Student Learning

100
Lectures

24
Total

200

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This module uses a variety of teaching and learning strategies, including class discussion, group work, short lectures, critical writing and reflection.

AI Policy: The use of AI tools is not permitted in this module. Students are expected to engage directly with module materials and activities without the use of AI tools.

A proportion of written assignments in each module in the School of English, Drama and Film are subject to moderation, meaning they undergo a second layer of review by another grader. This is to promote consistency within and between modules in the same level and discipline.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): Close reading of a chosen excerpt from one of the course texts (550-750 words) Week 7 Graded No
25
 No
Assignment(Including Essay): Final essay (3000 words) on any text studied. Students are asked to submit an essay plan and schedule an individual appointment to discuss their essay plan after the two-week break. Week 14 Graded No
60
 No
Participation in Learning Activities: Short posts for discussion points, posted before each class, 500 words in total. You will be asked to make two posts in total, and
must sign-up for two sessions in advance.		 Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11 Graded No
15
 No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Autumn No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Peer review activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Feedback in class on discussion posts; individual feedback on mid-semester assignment, building to final essay proposal with individual consultation and feedback prior to completing the final essay

Texts will include the following:

Angela Carter, 'The Bloody Chamber'; 'The Tiger's Bride'; 'The Courtship of Mr and Mrs Lyon' (from The Bloody Chamber)
Jeanette Winterson, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit
Leslie Feinberg, Stone Butch Blues
Imogen Binnie, Nevada
Julie Otsuka, The Buddha in the Attic
Ocean Vuong, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous
Andrea Lawlor, Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl
Salem Haddad, Guapa
William Keohane, 'Son'
James Hudson, 'Boys, Crying'

Name Role
Professor Gerardine Meaney Lecturer / Co-Lecturer

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Spring Seminar Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Tues 11:00 - 12:50
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