RLT4110

Ecology, gender and the sacred

(ART)

Constant Mews and Kate Rigby

12 points + 2 hours per week + First semester + Clayton

Synopsis: The history of attitudes to nature and the sacred from ancient times to the present, with particular attention to underlying assumptions about gender. Texts studied include mythic narratives about creation and /mother Earth0 from traditional cultures, Greek philosophical reflection on the cosmos, the impact of Judaeo-Christian monotheism, the rise of mechanistic science, and the development of contemporary theories about ecofeminism, all from a non-essentialist perspective.

Assessment: Exercise (1000 words): 20% + Class paper (1000 words) 20% + Research essay (7000 words): 50% + Oral presentation: 10%