Course objectives:

Students should

1. be introduced to key theoretical concepts of gender studies,
2. learn about the history and integration of gender studies into literary and cultural studies,
3. be enabled to take account of gender aspects and their significance in literary history and to carry out gender-orientated literary analyses,
4. acquire competence and sensitivity for gender-theoretical and gender-related questions with regard to teacher education and teaching German.

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Teaching content/subject-specific gender studies content:

Gender studies approaches and research concepts have become part of literary and linguistic studies and literary history education.

• Theoretical principles of gender studies in the context of literary theory and methods (differentiation of sex and gender, theoretical concepts of psychoanalysis, gender roles, cultural anthropology and narrative theory).
• Gender and language: linguistic aspects of gender (particularly in the fields of language change, semantics and pragmatics).
• Gender and literature: literary-historical aspects of gender, particularly with regard to literary historiography, questions of the literary canon, and women's contribution to literature, which has been hardly considered for a long time.
• History of gender studies in literary studies: from women's literature to gender approaches (feminist research, men's studies, gender studies).
• Medieval studies/medieval literature: significance and importance of the category of gender for the literary history of the middle ages and the early modern period (particularly gender anthropology: one-sex model vs. two-sex model).
• Significance of the category of gender in modern German literature, especially since the 18th century: gender coding in literature, poetry and literary theory, particularly in the period of Empfindsamkeit (sentimentalism)/classical period (18th century) and the fin de siècle (around 1900).
• Recent developments: intersectionality, postcolonial studies, queer studies. Thematisation (and de-thematisation) of gender in the present and in contemporary literature.
• Areas of practice: teacher education, teaching German. Implementation of gender issues in German lessons, references to intersectionality, inclusion, migration (based on contemporary literature, film and other media)
• Teacher education, Master of Education: concepts and their practical implementation with regard to gender in children's and young adult literature.

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Integration of gender studies content into the curriculum:

Gender studies concepts should generally be integrated into the module description, both in theoretical basic modules (introduction to literary studies, literary theory) and in literary history modules (middle ages/modern period).

Thematic modules on gender studies can be offered at a later stage as advanced modules (usually as compulsory optional modules). Here, we particularly recommend interdisciplinary modules (humanities and cultural studies courses combining literary theory and literary history issues).

If possible, cooperation with interdisciplinary degree courses in gender studies and university centres for women's and gender studies should be sought and appropriate cross-sectional modules should be offered.

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Degree Stage:

Gender studies approaches and concepts should be included in all phases of study, preferably in the later study phase (as well as in the Master of Education).

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