Gender Studies
Unit for Gender Studies welcomes students to study Gender Studies. Courses in English are specially designed for international students at the University of Lapland.
Gender Studies are a discipline that examines cultural and social issues from the gender perspective, also taking into account other differences between people. The origins of the discipline can be traced back to the feminist movement and women’s rights. Today, the research focuses widely on the meanings of gender in politics, organisations, culture, and everyday life.
Structure of studies 2010 – 2011
WSTU1500 Gender Studies, 25 ECTS pts
Basic Studies, 10 ECTS pts
WSTU1509 Introduction to Gender Studies 4 ECTS pts
WSTU1504 Gender in the North 3 ECTS pts
WSTU1508 Gendered Learning and Teaching Practices 3 ECTS pts
Advanced Studies, 15 ECTS pts
WSTU1501 Feminist thought, women's lives 3 ECTS pts
WSTU1502 Gender and Language 3 ECTS pts
WSTU1503 Women in History 3 ECTS pts
WSTU1505 Gender in Society 3 ECTS pts
WSTU1507 Women and Art 3 ECTS pts
WebOodi: Search courses by search terms or by study quide > Faculty of Education KTK - Gender Studies.
Basic Studies, 10 ECTS pts
WSTU1509 Introduction to Gender Studies, 4 ECTS pts
Aim
The aim of the course is to familiarise students with the field of feminist studies by offering working knowledge of feminist discussions and concepts, and their relationship to other fields of study.
Content
The introductions done throughout different concepts of feminist thinking by discussing the ways they link to the current and multidisciplinary materials assigned by the instructor.
Method
Seminar (12h), exercises and active discussion.
Requirements
Regular attendance, active participation, required readings and successful completion of the final assignment. The final assignment is a reflective essay/ learning journal.
Schedule
Autumn, see WebOodi
Evaluation
Grades 5–1/fail
Minimum size of the seminar group: 5 persons
Tutors
Mervi Autti, Seija Keskitalo-Foley and Outi Ylitapio-Mäntylä
WSTU1504 Gender in the North, 3 ECTS pts
Aim
The course offers knowledge of gender dimensions operating in the north. The aim of the course is to discuss gendered aspects of northern livelihoods, communities, traditions and histories, by viewing the Arctic area.
Contents
The course includes seminar and self study in form of writing an essay. In the first seminar meeting (2h), the topic of gender in the north and the course literature will be presented. For the second seminar meeting (2h) students will submit their initial essays to be then presented, discussed and guided further in the seminar.
Method
Seminar (4h), writing an essay and active participation to the seminar.
Requirements
Active participation to the seminar and successful completion of the essay.
Evaluation: Grades 5–1/fail
Schedule: Spring, see WebOodi
Suggested literature
Amft, Andrea (2001): Women in Samiland. Genus n:o 1, 10–11.
Eikjok, Jorunn (2004): Gender in Sapmi. Socio-cultural transformations and new challenges. Indigenious Affairs. n:o 1–2, 52–57.
Fyhn, Asbjorg (1999): We Should Open up to a Larger World. In Liljegren, Sylvi (ed.) Woman in a Northern Landscape, 68–72.
Taking Wing Conference Report. Conference on Gender Equality and Women in the Arctic 3–6 August 2002, Saariselkä, Inari, Finland: following articles:
Keskitalo-Foley, Seija (2002): Constructing Life Through
Learning – Women and Their Life Narratives in Rural Northern Finland, 96–104.
Naskali, Päivi (2002): Raising Women’s Conciousness about Gender Issues in the North, 118–126.
Tutor
Researcher Heidi Sinevaara-Niskanen
WSTU1508 Gendered Learning and Teaching Practices, 3 ECTS pts
Aim
The course offers students perspectives for examining gendered practices in upbringing and formal education, as well as conceptual tools for analysing and interpreting gendered meaning systems in education.
Content
Concepts of knowledge and power will be introduced and discussed as background to analysing gendered learning and teaching. Gendered structures and practices will be discussed using cases and other materials from pre-school to university level, as well as adult education.
Method
Seminar sessions (10h) with active discussion.
Requirements
Regular attendance, active participation, required readings and successful completion of the final assignment. The final assignment is a reflective essay/ learning journal.
Evaluation: Grades 5–1/fail
Schedule: Autumn, see Weboodi
Suggested literature
Feminisms and Critical Pedagogy (eds.) (1992): Luke, Carmen & Gore, Jennifer
Gore, Jennifer M. (1993): Struggle for Pedagogies. Critical and Feminist Discourse as a Regimes of Truths
Hooks, Bell (1994): Teaching for Transgress: education as a Practice of Freedom
Lather, Patti (1991): Getting smart: feminist research and pedagogy with/in the postmodern
Martin, Jane Roland (1994): Changing the Educational Landscape. Philosophy, Women and Curriculum
Pagano, Jo Anne (1990): Exiles and Communities: teaching in the patriarchal wilderness
Tutor
Seija Keskitalo-Foley
Advanced Studies, 15 ECTS pts
Courses offered in the advanced studies are based on independent learning, meaning that students read assigned literature and write essays. When taking courses from advanced courses and writing essays, be sure
to contact the teacher by e-mail or on her office hour to get more detailed information of the assignment and instructions for writing essays.
WSTU1501 Feminist Thought, Women’s Lives, 3 ECTS pts
Aim
The students should become familiar with the different trends in feminist thinking and learn to know the social position of Finnish women.
Method
Essay of the literature. See the instructions in writing essays below.
1.Tong, Rosemarie (1992): Feminist Thought. A comprehensive introduction
The task: First give an overview of the trends in feminist thinking that Tong has described in the book. Select then one chapter of the book and give more specific description of its central ideas, its most important theorists and tell by your own account the significance of the ideas. (1,5–3 ECTS)
2. Women in Finland (1999): Apo, Satu et. al.
The task: What is the social and cultural position of women in the Finnish society according to the book? You can compare the social situation of Finnish women to women´s situation in your own country and consider the weaknesses and strengths of the Finnish women´s position. (1,5–3 ECTS)
Tutor
Professor Päivi Naskali
WSTU1502 Gender and Language, 3 ECTS pts
Aim
The aim of this course is to learn to know the gendered meanings of language.
Method
Essay on the book: Cameron, Deborah (1990): The feminist critique of language: a reader.
The task: First, describe the targets that the author has given to the book: why it is important to analyse language? What is the role of language in constructing gender? Secondly, concentrate in analysing the chapters 5 and 6: how does the language construct gendered dichotomies and what is the sexist use of language. You are welcome to describe your own experiences and give some examples of your own language.
See the instructions for writing essays below.
Tutor
Professor Päivi Naskali
WSTU1503 Women in History, 3 ECTS pts
Method
Essay of the literature. See the instructions for writing essays below.
Lappalainen, Päivi & Rojola, Lea (ed.) (2007): Women's Voices. Female Authors and Feminist Criticism in the Finnish Literary Tradition.
Koivunen, Anu (2003): Performative Histories, Foundational Fictions. Gender and Sexuality in Niskavuori films.
Manninen, Merja & Setälä, Päivi (eds.) (1990): The Lady with the Bow. The Story of Finnish Women.
Moring, Anna (ed.) (2006): Politics of Gender. A Hundred Years of Women's Suffrage in Finland.
Scott, Joan Wallach 1999: Gender and the Politics of History.
Articles, which concern
CENTENARY OF WOMEN'S FULL POLITICAL RIGHTS IN FINLAND http://www.aanioikeus.fi/en/index.htm
Articles can also be borrowed from the assistant of women’s studies unit.
Tutor
Mervi Autti
WSTU1505 Gender in Society, 3 ECTS pts
Method
Essay of the literature. See the instructions for writing essays below.
Gender, Power & Sexuality (1991) Abbot, Pamela & Wallace, Claire (eds.)
Odih, Pamela (2007): Gender and Work in Capitalist Economies
Women’s citizenship and political rights (2006): Hellsten, Sirkku K., Holli, Anne Maria & Daskalova, Krassimira (eds).
Tutor
Seija Keskitalo-Foley
WSTU1507 Women and Art, 3 ECTS pts
Method
Essay of the literature. See the instructions for writing essays below.
Chadwick, Whitney (1994): Women, Art and Society
Deepwell, Katy (1995): New feminist art criticism: critical strategies
Nochlin, Linda (1994): Women, art and power and other essays
Parker, Rozsika & Griselda Pollock (1987): Old mistress: women, art and ideology
Pollock, Griselda (1988): Vision and diffrence: Femininity, feminism and the histories of art
Tutor
Tuija Hautala-Hirvioja
Instructions for writing essays
When taking courses from advanced courses and writing essays, be sure to contact the teacher by e-mail or on her office hour to get more detailed information of the assignment and instructions for writing essays. You can concentrate on different areas of Gender Studies: the concept feminism, Finnish woman’s position now and in history, language, art and society.
In essay the student produces her/his writer’s own analysis and opinion rather than paraphrases what someone else has already said. However, in a scientific writing you must get acquainted to literature and form a relationship on theoretical ways of thinking. An essay should have a specific thesis and a discussion linked to the argument rather than general descriptions. The title of your essay should relate to the question/problem you want to discuss.
In essay the source apparatus does not have to be written as exactly as it is for instance in scientific articles and other papers. But if you write a chapter of your essay according the other writer’s text, you must inform the source.
Do not merely summarise; be analytical and questioning to ensure rich content.
Be critical and reflective when reading your sources. This applies especially to Internet sources, but to any kinds of books and articles as well.
Format guidelines: An essay for 3 ECTS equals 6 printed pages in a standard font (e.g. Times Roman, 12 p), 1,5 line spacing, margins max 2.5 cm/an inch throughout. The works cited and the source of quotations must always be mentioned.
Information of Gender Studies
Gender Studies at the University of Lapland concentrate particularly on education and on social phenomena and cultural meanings from the gender perspective. The different fields of research are united by feminist theories of knowledge and theoretical discussions on gender.
At the University of Lapland, women's and dender Studies have been taught and feminist research has been carried out in cooperation with other subjects since 1989. The Unit for Women´s Studies was established in 2005. The name of the Unit changed to Unit for Gender Studies in 2010.
The courses in Gender Studies are open to all students at the University. Students can have Gender Studies as a secondary subject (25 or 60 ECTS) and also carry out advanced special studies. Several courses, 25 altogether, are available in English.
The courses are organised as lectures, group discussions, seminars, web-based studies, and literature-based essays and examinations. Distance learning and network-based courses are coordinated by Hilma, the Finnish University Network for Gender Studies. The varying forms of studying allow for flexible studies in Lapland where distances are huge.
Master’s Degree Programme
The multidisciplinary Master’s Degree Programme in Gender Studies (120 ECTS) can be carried out in two years. It is taught in Finnish. The Programme offers students scientific abilities to manage theoretical, philosophical, and methodological issues in feminist research. The students acquire professional competence to develop gender equality in the working life, organisations, and in different areas of culture.
Journal bublished by the Association for Women's Studies
The Association for Women's Studies in Finland is the publisher of the only national Women's Studies journal called "Naistutkimus - Kvinnoforskning". The journal is bilingual (Finnish and Swedish) and multidisciplinary and it is issued four times a year. The editorial board of the journal rotates between different universities every two years. The editorial board is situated in University of Lapland for the 2010-2011 period where the chief editors are Professor Päivi Naskali and Professor Suvi Ronkainen and the sub-editor is Suvi Lyytinen.
Research and the research group
The research at the Unit for Gender Studies focuses on questions of gendered culture in Lapland and the gendered meanings of education. The Unit collaborates with other faculties and research units, especially with the Centre for Research Education at the University of Lapland .
The Enterprising self research project, funded by the Academy of Finland , began in 2007. Seija Keskitalo-Foley works as the post-doc researcher in the project.
The Unit of Women’s Studies has been involved in ESR projects managed by the University’s Regional Development and Innovation Services.
The unit is a member of AOIFE (the European Association for Women’s Studies). Since 1993, feminist researchers at the University of Lapland have participated in the Femina Borealis Network, a cooperation organisation of feminist researchers and activists in the Barents Region.
The research group consists of active members of different scientific backgrounds currently working on their doctoral thesis. It has been possible to take a doctoral degree in Gender Studies at the University of Lapland since 2007. The unit participates in the Finnish Doctoral Programme for Women’s Studies. Professor Päivi Naskali is a member of the management group and Heidi Sinevaara-Niskanen was selected as a graduate student for four years.
Contact information
University of Lapland
Faculty of Education
Unit for Women’s Studies
PL 122, 96101 Rovaniemi, Finland
Professor
Päivi Naskali, PhD
Tel. +358 (0) 40 484 4127, 2432
paivi.naskali[at]ulapland.fi
Lecturer
Mervi Autti, PhD
Tel. 358 (0) 40 484 4103, 2411
mervi.autti[at]ulapland.fi
Heidi Sinevaara-Niskanen, Unit for Gender Studies
heidi.sinevaara-niskanen[at]ulapland.fi
Tel. +358 (0) 40 484 4132, 2439
Seija Keskitalo-Foley, Faculty of Education
seija.keskitalo-foley[at]ulapland.fi, tel. +358 (0) 40 484 4116, 2402
Outi Ylitapio-Mäntylä, Faculty of Education
outi.ylitapio-mantyla[at]ulapland.fi, tel. +358 (0) 40 484 4147, 3004
Tuija Hautala-Hirvioja, Faculty of Art and Design
tuija.hautala-hirvioja[at]ulapland.fi, tel. +358 (0) 50 307 2426, 2359
Mirva Lohiniva-Kerkelä, Faculty of Law
mirva.lohiniva[at]ulapland.fi, tel. +358 (0) 40 484 4024, 2513