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SOCI3717: Globalisation and the Sex Industry

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Type Open
Level 3
Credits 10
Availability Not available in 2023/24
Module Cap None.
Location Durham
Department Sociology

Prerequisites

  • None.

Corequisites

  • SOCI3687 Crime, Justice and the Sex Industry

Excluded Combinations of Modules

  • None.

Aims

  • To explore contemporary issues of globalisation, the global sex trade, and global policy/prostitution reform.
  • To explore and assess research studies that focus on the lived experience of people from the global majority in the sex industry.

Content

  • Globalisation and the sex industry.
  • Sex work and sex tourism.
  • Trafficking- migration nexus.
  • International anti trafficking policy and practice.
  • Politics of anti-trafficking/ anti-modern slavery.
  • Sex work/ trafficking in the media and popular culture.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:

  • Upon successful completion of this module, students will have demonstrated:
  • critical understanding of the impact of globalisation on the commercial sex trade.
  • critical understanding of the global politics of sex work governance.
  • understand and assess the international politics of contemporary anti-trafficking policy and practice.

Subject-specific Skills:

  • On completion of the module students should be able to:
  • think critically about recurring and transforming themes and issues in relation to globalisation and sex work.
  • critically evaluate and interpret information, evidence and explanations of sex work from a variety of sources and theoretical perspectives.

Key Skills:

  • On completion of the module students should be able to:
  • engage in critical reasoning and informed debate.
  • synthesise and critique arguments drawn from a variety of sources, communicate arguments effectively in writing.
  • carry out independent study and further reading using traditional and electronic sources.
  • manage their time and workload.
  • demonstrate effective study and learning skills (note taking; avoiding plagiarism, gathering and using information, constructing a bibliography, referencing).
  • demonstrate good IT skills in word processing, using the web, using a virtual learning environment (i.e. Virtual Learning Environment).

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

  • Ten lectures will introduce students to advanced concepts, arguments and theoretical debates related to globalisation and the sex industry.
  • Five seminars will engage students to apply knowledge of advanced concepts, arguments and theoretical debates to research studies that focus on the lived experience of people from the global majority in the sex industry.
  • A formative in class exercise will give students the opportunity to receive feedback on their understanding and familiarity with key debates explored in the module.
  • The summative assignment in the form of a 2500-word essay will test the depth and breadth of students analytical skills, theoretical and methodological understanding in one substantive area of study from the module.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

ActivityNumberFrequencyDurationTotalMonitored
Lectures10Weekly1 hour10 
Seminars5Fortnightly1 hour5Yes
Reading and Preparation85 
Total100 

Summative Assessment

Component: Summative EssayComponent Weighting: 100%
ElementLength / DurationElement WeightingResit Opportunity
Essay2,500 words100 

Formative Assessment

One formative in class exercise.

More information

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