Module manager: Dr Mitchell Travis
Email: M.Travis@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2025/26
LAW3115 Gender and the Law
This module is not approved as a discovery module
This research-led module takes different areas of law as the object of study and seeks to examine how gender, sex and sexuality are understood in those contexts. This will involve reading cases and statutory materials. However this is not a traditional law module. It is not only concerned with cases and statutes. A basic assumption of the approach to the law in this module is that the law is not a social practice that is isolated from the rest of culture. That culture is given form and meaning within the law. At the same time, the law itself is a representation of the world that has very distinctive and idiosyncratic characteristics. As such the law makes a distinctive contribution to the social order. This module seeks to examine both these aspects of the law as a cultural practice.
The module does not seek to provide an exhaustive statement of the law as it affects sex, gender and sexuality. The particular objective is to introduce students to a collection of laws as they impact upon the sexed, gendered and sexualised body. It also focusses attention upon how the sexed, gendered and sexualised body comes into being in law. In taking up this particular theme the module seeks to develop a critical approach to matters of sex, gender and sexuality and raises ethical issues and discussions about responsibilities. It is a module which will appeal to those interested in issues of justice, human rights and law reform as it is a constantly evolving module which focuses on some of the most contemporary issues of our time. It provides global and cultural insights into areas that are often neglected in mainstream law courses.
This module will enable students to:
- demonstrate knowledge of the representation of sex, sexuality and gender;
- demonstrate written and oral analytical and critical skills;
- evidence group working practices;
- demonstrate independent and group research skills.
Sex as a spectrum
Intersex Embodiment
Trans Embodiment
Gender Roles and Pornography
Gender and Drugs
Gender and Access to Justice
Gender and Justice
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-line Learning | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| Lecture | 11 | 1 | 11 |
| Seminar | 5 | 1.5 | 7.5 |
| Private study hours | 176.5 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 23.5 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
The overall learning element is broken down into 15 minute tasks, there will be 20 x 15 minute tasks.
A formative assessment opportunity will be provided.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Essay | 1 x 3,000-word essay | 100 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
The presentations will be recorded and presentation materials will be kept for the purposes of moderation and external examination.
The reading list is available from the Library website
Last updated: 30/04/2025
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team