Histories of Sexuality: Gender, Power, Pleasure and the Body
UndergraduateLTU-HIS30022025
Course information for 2025 intake View information for 2024 course intake
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Enrol by
- 20 July 2025
- Entry requirements
- Prior study needed
- Duration
- 12 weeks
- Price from
- $2,124
- Upfront cost
- $0
- Loan available
- HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP available
Histories of Sexuality: Gender, Power, Pleasure and the Body
About this subject
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Understand key issues in the history of sexuality
- Demonstrate an understanding of a variety of conceptual approaches to interpreting the history of sexuality.
- Construct a sophisticated and evidence-based argument about historical sexual cultures.
- Research and interpret historical evidence about human sexual identity, experience and relations from a wide variety of primary and secondary materials to analyse changing representations of the past.
- Examine histories of sexuality by undertaking research according to the methodological and ethical conventions of the discipline and show how history shapes the present and can contribute to envisaging new futures.
- The History of Sexuality
- Sexuality and Gender Identity
- Repressing or Liberating Sex
- Sexual Technologies
- Sexual Capacity and Consent
- Histories of Sexual Violence and Harassment
- Sexuality, Romance, and Religion
In this subject students examine histories of sexuality. We consider changing meanings assigned to sexed and gendered bodies and sexual behaviour and the emergence of sexual and gender categories and identities. We explore how the sexual and gendered body has been subject to social control and regulation. How did the state regulate sexuality and gender diversity? Why were some forms of sexuality and gender behaviour criminalised? What generated moral panics over sexuality? What role did the press play in sex scandals? We consider marriage, birth control, gendered sexual violence, influence of sexology and sexual reformers and nationalism, race and sexuality. We examine the formation of sexual sub-cultures and sexual liberation movements to current LGBTIQA politics and culture. Through analysing sexuality debates we examine shifting notions of transgression and deviance and explore sexuality, gender, power and resistance and the transformation of sexual cultures, ideas and practices.
This is a level 3 subject. It includes live sessions with the expectation of student attendance and participation.
- One 1,000-word essay (25%)
- One 2,250-word research essay. Students are expected to share their preliminary and draft versions of their research essay in the tutorial. (50%)
- Tutorial activities (1,250-words equivalent) including written analysis of tutorial readings and peer feedback on draft research essays. (25%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
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- QS Ranking 2024:
- 17
- Times Higher Education Ranking 2024:
- 18
Entry requirements
Others
Prerequisites: Students must have completed 60 credit points of Level one subjects.
Past La Trobe University students who have previously completed HIS2SCS (Histories of Sexuality : Gender, Power, Pleasure and the Body) are ineligible to enrol in this subject.
Additional requirements
No additional requirements
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
Equivalent full time study load (EFTSL) is one way to calculate your study load. One (1.0) EFTSL is equivalent to a full-time study load for one year.
Find out more information on Commonwealth Loans to understand what this means to your eligibility for financial support.
What to study next?
Once you’ve completed this subject it can be credited towards one of the following courses
Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Health Sciences
UndergraduateLAT-AHS-DEG
UndergraduateLAT-ART-DEG
UndergraduateLAT-HSC-DEG
UndergraduateLAT-BUS-DEG
Bachelor of Information Technology
UndergraduateLAT-TEC-DEG
Bachelor of Psychological Science
UndergraduateLAT-PYS-DEG
UndergraduateLAT-CYS-DEG
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