Gender, Sexuality and Culture

Birkbeck's MA Gender, Sexuality and Culture is built around the interdisciplinary study of gender and sexuality, an exciting and growing area of study. This course is ideal if you are interested in how gender and sexuality are constructed, understood and represented in different historical, cultural, geographic and social contexts. We bridge the divide between the social sciences and the arts and humanities and, if you are interested in focusing on the humanities, this course allows you to explore aspects of gender and sexuality in literature, history, media and film, visual art, philosophy and cultural theory.

The course explores current debates and incorporates the cutting-edge research of world-leading academics at Birkbeck, who are working in feminism and gender studies, LGBTQ+ history and activism, queer theory, and histories of medicine, sexology, psychiatry and psychoanalysis. Our academics are passionate and engaged in the real world, working towards social justice with activists, policy-makers, academics, and charities and NGOs. You will find yourself in a classroom with a diverse range of people, from many different backgrounds and careers, which generates a lively, enthusiastic learning environment.

You will consider competing ideas and theories about gender and sexuality and explore the ways in which these intersect with concepts of race, ethnicity, age and class. The course will develop your ability to critically discuss these theories and to consider how the humanities can help us understand gender and sexuality.

This firm grounding in theories of gender and sexuality, along with research skills preparation, will help you develop the confidence you need to undertake an independent research project in the area that most interests you.

• Birkbeck is a leading centre of research in the interdisciplinary field of gender and sexuality studies.
• This course is linked to Birkbeck Gender and Sexuality (BiGS). BiGS hosts experts in the field, organises a diverse range of events throughout the year, including dedicated postgraduate workshops and seminars, and sponsors a lively student postgraduate forum, which runs reading groups, workshops and symposia, as well as the BiGS students' blog.
• All master’s students are eligible to apply for our prestigious Eric Hobsbawm Scholarships, subject to availability. One of the most influential historians of the twentieth century, Eric Hobsbawm taught at Birkbeck for over five decades and embodied what is central to our teaching and research: a continued commitment to critical enquiry and public engagement.
• If you are taking this course part time, you may be eligible for a Bonnart Trust Master’s Studentship which will cover the cost of your tuition fees. You must have received an offer of a place on the course by 31 May 2022 to apply.