This module looks at some of the basic facts of human existences, birth, sex and death, from a cross-cultural perspective. All humans face these 'facts of life' but they do them in different as well as similar ways. The first part of the module looks at the human body and in particular how different peoples understand the process of procreation. To what extent are the body and bodily processes understood and experienced the same ways around the world? Are things that seem obvious to Westerners equally obvious to other people? How does culture affect how we experience and understand the body?
We will spend several weeks looking at gender and ideologies of gender and ask some broad questions about gender and power, specifically focusing on how these questions relate to issues of the body and birth and sex and death.
We finish the module with looking at death and the experience of death varies across cultures and why.
The module follows a clear path and each week builds on the previous one. Later sessions will refer to previous ones and regular attendance is essential.
We will spend several weeks looking at gender and ideologies of gender and ask some broad questions about gender and power, specifically focusing on how these questions relate to issues of the body and birth and sex and death.
We finish the module with looking at death and the experience of death varies across cultures and why.
The module follows a clear path and each week builds on the previous one. Later sessions will refer to previous ones and regular attendance is essential.