GE338 Gender Trouble in Contemporary German Culture

Module Code: GE338
Module Name: Gender Trouble in Contemporary German Culture
Module Coordinator: Dr Katherine Stone
Term 1 2025-26: Thursday 13:00 - 15:00, Humanities Building 0.02
Module Credits: 15

Module choice guide

Focus: gender; sexuality; social media; artificial intelligence; feminism; intersectional politics; family; politics of migration and asylum.

Theoretical lenses: feminist theory; queer theory; disability studies; critical whiteness studies; posthumanism.

Module Description

Judith Butler’s Gender Trouble (1990) radically changed the way that we think about gender and sexuality. Globally, it is associated with profound transformations in how western society understands and represents masculinity, femininity, and gender and sexual relations. This module explores the various ways in which these transformations and related developments have caused "trouble" in the contemporary German-speaking world. What sort of social and political tensions result from disputes over the meaning of "man" and "woman"? How have social media and new technologies impacted on society, politics, and gender relations in particular? What role do literature, film, and other forms of creative culture play in challenging stereotypes and norms?

Indicative Module Content:

This module covers a range of evolving debates surrounding gender and sexuality in post-1990 Germany. The syllabus is continually refined to reflect contemporary developments. Students will have the opportunity to engage with themes such as: tensions and debates in feminist and other progressive political movements; performance and performativity; queer and trans experiences; intersectional experiences of marginalisation and oppression; masculinity; activism and social media; motherhood; postfeminism and anti-feminist/anti-gender backlash; gender and posthumanism.

Excerpts from contemporary gender and queer theory will support students’ work with primary material, from films and novels to (social) media sources.

While language-degree students are expected to read and watch the films in the target language, and to quote should in German, the primary teaching and assessment language is English.

Please note that these texts deal at times with difficult subject matter, including suicide, bereavement, sexual violence, racist abuse, incest, and drug use, as well as some graphic depictions of violence and sex. Students will be warned in advance if these topics will feature in the reading and will have the opportunity to flag any potential concerns before class --- either anonymously or in person. Where classroom discussion focuses on these issues, the approach aims to be both sensitive and academically rigorous; however, the module convenor is open to discussing and accommodating student concerns.

Module reading list.

Assessment Method

All components should be written in English.

30% critical review (1,250-1,500 words): You will be provided with an 800-word essay generated by AI on one of the primary works studied in the module. Your task is to revise and expand on the AI-generated essay, making factual corrections as well as deepening the analysis to demonstrate close and critical understanding of the focal work and the broader themes of the module. We will prepare for this assessment mode in the course of the module and especially through the lecture in week 10.

20% reflective piece (800-1,000 words): Scaffolded critical review of the AI-generated essay against the marking criteria, reflecting on the limitations of the Gen-AI essay and explaining the changes made. We will prepare for this assessment mode in the course of the module and especially through the lecture in week 10.

50% research project (max. 15-minutes in the form of a video recording / podcast / narrated PowerPoint / video essay). Student-research, applying concepts from the module to different topics, or examining core texts from a different angle. Past topics have included:

Critically analyse how the introduction of a "Frauenquote" for large companies in Germany has been portrayed across the media
To what extent does Meinecke anticipate contemporary debates about “wokeness” in Tomboy?
What role does Angela Merkel’s gender play in the media’s representation of her relationships with Gerhard Schroeder, Vladimir Putin, and Donald Trump?
To what extent does Kutluğ Ataman portray machismo as a cultural problem?
To what extent has Conchita's drag practice influenced perceptions of gender and drag in Europe?
Oriental Cabaret: How does Ataman’s Lola and Bilidikid interact with depictions of the feminized oriental body in German film and visual culture

Comprehensive module reading list on Talis Aspire

Module Moodle Page

Disclaimer

_{This information was correct at the date of publication. However, teaching staff (or their availability) and departmental facilities do sometimes vary, or become unavailable, for reasons beyond the University’s control. In exceptional cases, timetable slots may need to change to accommodate clashes. Where this happens, the University will ensure the minimum of disruption and will ensure that the expected standard of education is maintained.}

Module prerequisites

Students on this module generally require B2-level German to take this module. Some of the material is not readily available in translation.

Student voices

- "I loved this module, it was perhaps my favourite one at my time in university."

- "I think the environment was very welcoming. I never felt intimidated to speak up and the preparation was never so strictly enforced that we could not take the discussion in the direction we felt necessary. "

- "Amazing module, very eye-opening, engaging and modern!"

- "I've really enjoyed learning about different topics and being able to do a presentation as part of my assessment is great, because it's something different and keeps the module interesting. I also appreciate that we spend the seminar doing group work and sharing ideas."

School of Modern Languages and Cultures