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SSJ20110

Academic Year 2026/2027

Gender, Power and Politics - Historical Perspectives (SSJ20110)

Subject:
Social Justice
College:
Social Sciences & Law
School:
Soc Pol, Soc Wrk & Soc Justice
Level:
2 (Intermediate)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Dr Mary McAuliffe
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This module explores how power has been gendered, where gender has served as a basis for power, regulation, and control. There is a focus on key political and socio-cultural issues from the 2nd to the 3rd/4th waves of feminism, concentrating on sexualities, identities, politics, political activism, and citizenship. The module will address the social construction of gender and how modern society has responded to gendered issues of citizenship, power, race, class, identities, and sexualities. There will be an examination of gender relations in Ireland and globally, the changing constructions of masculinities and femininities, and the gendered nature of power. This module is taught by Dr Mary McAuliffe.

We encourage you to search for other Social Justice (SSJ) modules which include options relating to Gender Studies. Graduates who have completed at least 15 credits of undergraduate electives by choosing SSJ modules will have this noted on their UCD transcripts as the completion of Structured Electives in Social Justice.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module, students should be able to:

1. Show familiarity with key feminist movements, debates and issues.
2. Explain the systems of power and citizenship which produce differences among women and between women and men.
3. Situate feminist activism, movements and debates in national and global contexts.
4. Present ideas orally and engage in discussion. 6. Write a scholarly essay that is appropriate for Level 2 students.

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Specified Learning Activities

26
Autonomous Student Learning

50
Lectures

24
Total

100

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
this module will be a mixture of lectures; critical writing; reflective learning; and student participation. Each two hour session will comprise a lecture followed by a participative seminar. .

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations
Learning Recommendations:

This course would suit students of any discipline interested in gender, politics, feminism, gender history, women's activism as well as issues and debates about equal rights.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Equivalents:
Gender, Power & Politics (WS20110)


 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade Component repeat (in-module) Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): You will be assigned a number of articles from which you choose one on which to do a critical reading Week 6 Graded No
20
 No
Assignment(Including Essay): Write 600 words on a chosen activist movement - what it represents, how it campaigns, and discuss its impact and how it might improve. The case study should be feminist, civil liberty, and/or LGBT+ Week 10 Graded No
20
 No
Assignment(Including Essay): end of term essay - 1,500 words - essay titles and relevant readings will be provided Week 15 Graded No
60
 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, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

for both the assignment and essay written and oral feedback will be provided.

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Thurs 14:00 - 15:50
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