Dr Rohit Dasgupta & Dr Asiya Islam

Why is policymaking a queer and feminist issue? How do gender-blind policy fall short in addressing societal needs, and how can they be reimagined through a deeper understanding of gendered and sexualised cultural life?

This course engages with the politics of policy making from queer and feminist perspectives, rooting the discussion in cultural discourse of contemporary society. You will discover how policies shape – and are shaped by – the lived experiences of individuals and communities.

You will explore the importance of gender and sexuality for various forms of policymaking across local, national and international levels. Using various innovative approaches and perspectives in gender and sexuality studies, you will investigate how sexual and gender inequalities, in connection with other power structures like race, ethnicity, and class, are embedded and activated in the policymaking process.

Through engaging lectures and discussions led by expert academics and practitioners, you will develop an understanding of core concepts and theories in gender and sexuality, and to use these to understand policy making in relation to cultural life. To complement the in-class learning, students will also take a field trip and interact with policy makers, such as Members of Parliament, regional mayors, cultural workers and trade union representatives.