| CODE | FDT4055 | ||||||
| TITLE | Feminism and the Law | ||||||
| UM LEVEL | 04 - Years 4, 5 in Modular UG or PG Cert Course | ||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 6 | ||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Fundamental and Dogmatic Theology, including Ecumenism | ||||||
| DESCRIPTION | Feminist jurisprudence is an approach to legal scholarship and practice that examines the impact of current and past legal trends on the lives of women. This study-unit analyzes the project of feminist legal theory from a twofold approach, namely: (1) explaining ways in which the law played a role in women's former subordinate status; and (2) operate a reform through a reworking of the law and its approach to gender. Several controversial issues will be advanced to exemplify and clarify the nature of the project in more depth, such as the application of theory to law and social policy in relation to work and wealth distribution, intimate and familial relationships, power and violence, identity performance and the regulation of sexuality. Moreover, this study-unit will explore recent important debates within feminist philosophy and theology, including faith and the practice of law, the natural law tradition in the Church, the acceptance or rejection of the feminine as a source of alternative ideals and the problem of accounting for diversity among women. Study-unit Aims: Introducing students to the nature and contents of feminist legal theory, enabling them to identify its underlying issues and to develop methods for responding to the challenges that arise within misogynistic systems of law. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: • Distinguish the essential elements of gender – as a social and cultural construction interacting with other issues such as race, ethnicity, and class – which exert a frequently unacknowledged influence on the structure and interpretation of laws. • Assimilate the feminist critique of several controversial legal issues that strongly influence the lives of women in contemporary societies, with special attention to changes that might improve the situation of women vis-à-vis the law. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: • Apply the perspectives of feminist theory to publicly respond to contemporary legal theories and practices. • Provide concrete suggestions for overhauling existing laws, improving legal education, and recommending new laws with more equitable goals in mind. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: • Jackson S. - Jones J. (eds), 1998. "Contemporary Feminist Theories", NY: New York Univ. Press. • Taylor B. - Rush S. - Munro R.J., 1999. “Feminist Jurisprudence, Women and the Law: Critical Essays, Research Agenda and Bibliography". Buffalo, NY: William S. Hein & Co. • Chamallas M., 1998. “Introduction to Feminist Legal Theory”. New York: Panel Publishers. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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