Gender & Diversity Studies

Gender and diversity studies investigates the actual (physical and biological) gender differences between women and men, but thinks especially critical about what these differences mean in a socio-cultural context. Gender is a classifying principle in society and culture. It is a remarkable discriminating tool in the distribution of labour, care, possession, income, education, organisational qualities or diseases. Opinions about what is male and what is female colour material and immaterial human products, from clothes and computer design to the image of god and mythology. Social and cultural gender patterns are internalised to an extent where our self-image is partially determined by the fact that we are male or female. Academic scholars who do research on people or their products cannot neglect gender.

Gender and Diversity Studies aims to educate students in the workings of gender on a social, cultural and psychological level and learn them to use the gender perspective within their own disciplines. The tension between the structuring, repetitive, omnipresent aspects of gender and its wide variation and varying importance is a central concept. Apart from this the we focus on the implications the classifying principle has for the relations between women and men.

We offer different interesting courses on gender & diversity throughout the year. You can also follow the minor 'Cultural Sexuality Studies'. There are also several master and masterspecialisations that focus on genderissues.