ANTH2623 Genders and Sexualities
The Complete Study & Assessment Guide · S2 2026ANTH2623 Overview
- 6 credit points
- Semester 2, 2026
- Anthropology of gender
- Camperdown/Darlington
Ethnographic route through gender
Anthropological comparison makes gender and sexuality legible as situated relations rather than fixed, universal categories. This guide follows anthropological approaches to gender, sexuality, kinship, environment, inequality and decolonial knowledge production.
- Start from ethnography Treat categories as situated practices rather than universal labels.
- Compare relations carefully Preserve local terms, histories and unequal power.
- Make reflexivity consequential Show how fieldwork, archives and canons shape evidence.
- Build arguments from detail Move from observation through interpretation to qualification.
How ANTH2623 is assessed
| Component | Weight | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Discussion posts | 20% | Weekly written responses to required readings |
| Multiple-choice quiz | 10% | Questions on required readings from Weeks 1 and 2 |
| Media analysis | 30% | Analysis of gender or sexuality in popular media |
| Research essay | 40% | Essay focused on later teaching material |
The current Unit Outline publishes four weighted tasks. It expects 90% attendance; below 50% attendance may be referred to the Examiner’s Board, which determines whether the student should pass or fail. Confirm attendance records and task instructions on Canvas.
Assessment structure
Segment widths reproduce the published percentage weights; the weighted rows total 100%.
Current ANTH2623 dates
| Date | Item | Control |
|---|---|---|
| 17 August 2026 at 09:00 | Multiple-choice quiz | Current Unit Outline due date. |
| 27 September 2026 at 23:59 | Media analysis | Current Unit Outline due date. |
| 8 November 2026 at 23:59 | Research essay | Current Unit Outline due date. |
Dates are as published in Dates are taken from the current Semester 2, 2026 Unit Outline.. Confirm exact deadlines and submission settings in the live LMS.
What ANTH2623 covers
Six chapters move from feminist and queer anthropology to plural genders, ecologies, inequality and decolonial knowledge.
Anthropology of Gender and Feminist Critique
place gender categories within ethnographic and disciplinary historiesLocate gender relations in practice
Treat Gender relations as an ethnographic question, not a universal category waiting to be found.
- Gender relations
- Ethnography
- Feminist anthropology
- Apply Gender relations in a changed case
- Test the limit through Feminist anthropology
Queer Anthropology, Kinship and Reproduction
analyse sexuality and relatedness beyond fixed household normsLocate queer anthropology in practice
Treat Queer anthropology as an ethnographic question, not a universal category waiting to be found.
- Queer anthropology
- Kinship
- Reproduction
- Apply Queer anthropology in a changed case
- Test the limit through Reproduction
Trans Lives, Third Genders and Pluralism
compare gender plurality without collapsing distinct historiesLocate gender pluralism in practice
Treat Gender pluralism as an ethnographic question, not a universal category waiting to be found. The fifth week focuses on trans lives, third genders and gender pluralism across cultural settings.
- Gender pluralism
- Trans lives
- Translation
- Apply Gender pluralism in a changed case
- Test the limit through Translation
Gendered Environments and Queer Ecologies
connect bodies, environments and more-than-human relationsLocate queer ecologies in practice
Treat Queer ecologies as an ethnographic question, not a universal category waiting to be found. The sixth week joins gendered environments with queer ecologies, widening analysis beyond a nature–culture divide.
- Queer ecologies
- Environment
- More-than-human relations
- Apply Queer ecologies in a changed case
- Test the limit through More-than-human relations
Misogyny, Labour and Caste
trace inequality across media, work and social hierarchyLocate misogyny in practice
Treat Misogyny as an ethnographic question, not a universal category waiting to be found. Weeks seven and eight connect misogyny in popular culture with gender, labour and caste.
- Misogyny
- Gendered labour
- Caste
- Apply Misogyny in a changed case
- Test the limit through Caste
Decolonial and Black Feminist Anthropologies
rethink canon, method and authority through decolonial and Black feminist workLocate decolonial perspective in practice
Treat Decolonial perspective as an ethnographic question, not a universal category waiting to be found.
- Decolonial perspective
- Black feminist anthropology
- Canon
- Apply Decolonial perspective in a changed case
- Test the limit through Canon
ANTH2623 carries 6 credit points in the current offering. The sequence follows the current teaching order while grouping adjacent topics when they share one reasoning task.
Each chapter asks you to identify evidence, explain a relationship, test a competing account and state a conclusion at the scale the evidence supports.
Anthropology of Gender and Feminist Critique
The opening weeks introduce anthropology of gender and feminist anthropology as both a field of study and a critique of disciplinary knowledge production.
Use this chapter to place gender categories within ethnographic and disciplinary histories. The practical boundary is specific: Gender categories must be analysed in context rather than assumed to have identical meanings everywhere.
Revision should therefore combine retrieval with a changed case rather than stopping at a list of definitions.
Queer Anthropology, Kinship and Reproduction
The schedule places queer anthropology beside kinship and reproduction, inviting analysis of how sexuality, relatedness and social continuity are organised. Use this chapter to analyse sexuality and relatedness beyond fixed household norms.
The practical boundary is specific: Kinship is a lived and institutional relation, not a synonym for biological descent. Revision should therefore combine retrieval with a changed case rather than stopping at a list of definitions.
Trans Lives, Third Genders and Pluralism
The fifth week focuses on trans lives, third genders and gender pluralism across cultural settings.
Use this chapter to compare gender plurality without collapsing distinct histories. The practical boundary is specific: Translation should disclose mismatch rather than erase it for convenience.
Revision should therefore combine retrieval with a changed case rather than stopping at a list of definitions.
Gendered Environments and Queer Ecologies
The sixth week joins gendered environments with queer ecologies, widening analysis beyond a nature–culture divide. Use this chapter to connect bodies, environments and more-than-human relations.
The practical boundary is specific: Ecological comparison must explain its inferential bridge rather than relying on analogy alone. Revision should therefore combine retrieval with a changed case rather than stopping at a list of definitions.
Misogyny, Labour and Caste
Weeks seven and eight connect misogyny in popular culture with gender, labour and caste.
Use this chapter to trace inequality across media, work and social hierarchy. The practical boundary is specific: Intersectional analysis identifies changing relations, not a checklist of identities.
Revision should therefore combine retrieval with a changed case rather than stopping at a list of definitions.
Decolonial and Black Feminist Anthropologies
The final sequence moves through Indigenous and decolonial perspectives into histories, theories and case studies in Black feminist anthropology. Use this chapter to rethink canon, method and authority through decolonial and black feminist work.
The practical boundary is specific: Decolonisation is not a metaphor for general improvement; it requires attention to land, sovereignty, history and material authority. Revision should therefore combine retrieval with a changed case rather than stopping at a list of definitions.
Assessment planning
The current Unit Outline publishes four weighted tasks.
It expects 90% attendance; below 50% attendance may be referred to the Examiner’s Board, which determines whether the student should pass or fail. Confirm attendance records and task instructions on Canvas. The official labels and percentage weights are reproduced in the assessment table.
Dates shown here belong to the current offering; check Canvas for any operational change, submission setting or room information.
How to study with the guide
Read one chapter map, close the page, and reconstruct the relationship among its three central terms. Complete the worked case, change one material fact, and identify the first sentence that must change.
Keep a short error log organised by misclassification, unsupported inference, missing comparison and over-broad conclusion. Return to the relevant unit activity after diagnosing the error.
Worked example · free
Interpret a contested representation
- 2Attribute and describe both accounts.
- 2Explain the kinship and power relation.
- 2Qualify the comparison.
Key terms
- Gender relations
- Gender relations is a central concept in Anthropology of Gender and Feminist Critique. It helps students place gender categories within ethnographic and disciplinary histories while keeping evidence, interpretation and boundary conditions distinct.
- Ethnography
- Ethnography is a central concept in Anthropology of Gender and Feminist Critique. It helps students place gender categories within ethnographic and disciplinary histories while keeping evidence, interpretation and boundary conditions distinct.
- Queer anthropology
- Queer anthropology is a central concept in Queer Anthropology, Kinship and Reproduction. It helps students analyse sexuality and relatedness beyond fixed household norms while keeping evidence, interpretation and boundary conditions distinct.
- Kinship
- Kinship is a central concept in Queer Anthropology, Kinship and Reproduction. It helps students analyse sexuality and relatedness beyond fixed household norms while keeping evidence, interpretation and boundary conditions distinct.
- Gender pluralism
- Gender pluralism is a central concept in Trans Lives, Third Genders and Pluralism. It helps students compare gender plurality without collapsing distinct histories while keeping evidence, interpretation and boundary conditions distinct.
- Trans lives
- Trans lives is a central concept in Trans Lives, Third Genders and Pluralism. It helps students compare gender plurality without collapsing distinct histories while keeping evidence, interpretation and boundary conditions distinct.
- Queer ecologies
- Queer ecologies is a central concept in Gendered Environments and Queer Ecologies. It helps students connect bodies, environments and more-than-human relations while keeping evidence, interpretation and boundary conditions distinct.
- Environment
- Environment is a central concept in Gendered Environments and Queer Ecologies. It helps students connect bodies, environments and more-than-human relations while keeping evidence, interpretation and boundary conditions distinct.
- Misogyny
- Misogyny is a central concept in Misogyny, Labour and Caste. It helps students trace inequality across media, work and social hierarchy while keeping evidence, interpretation and boundary conditions distinct.
- Gendered labour
- Gendered labour is a central concept in Misogyny, Labour and Caste. It helps students trace inequality across media, work and social hierarchy while keeping evidence, interpretation and boundary conditions distinct.
- Decolonial perspective
- Decolonial perspective is a central concept in Decolonial and Black Feminist Anthropologies. It helps students rethink canon, method and authority through decolonial and black feminist work while keeping evidence, interpretation and boundary conditions distinct.
- Black feminist anthropology
- Black feminist anthropology is a central concept in Decolonial and Black Feminist Anthropologies. It helps students rethink canon, method and authority through decolonial and black feminist work while keeping evidence, interpretation and boundary conditions distinct.
ANTH2623 FAQ
How should ethnographic evidence support an argument?
Describe the practice, account, image or institutional fact precisely, attribute the perspective, and explain the inferential step connecting that evidence to the anthropological claim. Use the current task instructions to check how this principle applies before submission.
What does reflexivity change in a research response?
Reflexivity identifies how the researcher’s position, method, archive and disciplinary categories shape what becomes visible. It should revise interpretation rather than become a detached confession. Use the current task instructions to check how this principle applies before submission.
How can intersectionality avoid becoming a checklist?
Show how one relation of power changes the operation or meaning of another in the specific case. Do not merely enumerate identities without an explanatory connection. Use the current task instructions to check how this principle applies before submission.
What should be confirmed on Canvas?
Confirm weekly post instructions, quiz access, approved media-analysis choices, essay questions, submission settings and current rubric details on Canvas before completing each task. Use the current task instructions to check how this principle applies before submission.
Why preserve disagreement between accounts?
Different accounts may reflect position, authority and contested interests. Forced synthesis can erase the very relation an anthropological analysis needs to explain. Use the current task instructions to check how this principle applies before submission.
How should a media example be analysed?
Describe the representation, identify its circulation and audience, connect it to social relations, and test the interpretation against production context or a counter-reading. Use the current task instructions to check how this principle applies before submission.
What happens if attendance falls below the published threshold?
The current Unit Outline expects 90% attendance. Below 50% attendance may be referred to the Examiner’s Board, which determines whether the student should pass or fail; check records on Canvas. Use the current task instructions to check how this principle applies before submission.
Questions students ask in each ANTH2623 chapter
- How should gender relations be compared across settings?
- Compare relations, practices and consequences rather than assuming identical labels. Preserve local categories, identify the basis of comparison and state what remains incommensurable. The opening weeks introduce anthropology of gender and feminist anthropology as both a field of study and a critique of disciplinary knowledge production. Keep Gender relations, Ethnography and Feminist anthropology in distinct analytical roles. Chapter 01 · Anthropology of Gender and Feminist Critique
- How should queer anthropology be compared across settings?
- Compare relations, practices and consequences rather than assuming identical labels. Preserve local categories, identify the basis of comparison and state what remains incommensurable. The schedule places queer anthropology beside kinship and reproduction, inviting analysis of how sexuality, relatedness and social continuity are organised. Keep Queer anthropology, Kinship and Reproduction in distinct analytical roles. Chapter 02 · Queer Anthropology, Kinship and Reproduction
- How should gender pluralism be compared across settings?
- Compare relations, practices and consequences rather than assuming identical labels. Preserve local categories, identify the basis of comparison and state what remains incommensurable. The fifth week focuses on trans lives, third genders and gender pluralism across cultural settings. Keep Gender pluralism, Trans lives and Translation in distinct analytical roles. Chapter 03 · Trans Lives, Third Genders and Pluralism
- How should queer ecologies be compared across settings?
- Compare relations, practices and consequences rather than assuming identical labels. Preserve local categories, identify the basis of comparison and state what remains incommensurable. The sixth week joins gendered environments with queer ecologies, widening analysis beyond a nature–culture divide. Keep Queer ecologies, Environment and More-than-human relations in distinct analytical roles. Chapter 04 · Gendered Environments and Queer Ecologies
- How should misogyny be compared across settings?
- Compare relations, practices and consequences rather than assuming identical labels. Preserve local categories, identify the basis of comparison and state what remains incommensurable. Weeks seven and eight connect misogyny in popular culture with gender, labour and caste. Keep Misogyny, Gendered labour and Caste in distinct analytical roles. Chapter 05 · Misogyny, Labour and Caste
- How should decolonial perspective be compared across settings?
- Compare relations, practices and consequences rather than assuming identical labels. Preserve local categories, identify the basis of comparison and state what remains incommensurable. The final sequence moves through Indigenous and decolonial perspectives into histories, theories and case studies in Black feminist anthropology. Keep Decolonial perspective, Black feminist anthropology and Canon in distinct analytical roles. Chapter 06 · Decolonial and Black Feminist Anthropologies
How to prepare for the assessments
Build concept-and-case pairs, practise attributing categories, write the inferential link after every ethnographic detail and test each conclusion against a differently positioned account.
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