HDCB01212U DCC Gender and Sexuality Studies

Volume 2026/2027
Education

Danish Culture Courses

 

www.danishculturecourses.ku.dk

Content

This course asks: How has history formed the present that we find ourselves in, and can we understand sex, gender and sexuality from the point of view of cultural history? We will explore this through reading, discussing, and visits from activist organizations in Copenhagen.

Denmark was the first country in the world to legalize the distribution of pornography (1969), to legalize same-sex civil unions (1989), to allow two persons of the same sex as legal parents of a child (1999), and to allow trans*persons to legally change their gender based solely on request (2014). In many ways, Denmark has thus been a front-runner for sexual and LGBTQ+ rights.

How has Danish history paved the way for these transformations, and how does history continually shape the way we think about gender equality, sexual rights, and LGBTQ+ liberation? Similarly, women’s emancipation was also brought on by access to birth control (1966) and right to abortion (1973). What has happened with feminism since then in Denmark? And how does Danish feminism stand with a controversial issue, such as sex work or prostitution?

We will both study Denmark as a case, but also broaden our perspective and bring in examples from the US, Sweden and other countries to help us understand how the framing of the past is forming the present situation and the futures we can imagine.


www.danishculturecourse.ku.dk

 

Learning Outcome

At the examination, the student can demonstrate:

 

Knowledge and understanding of

  • the overall themes in a focused study area within the field of gender and sexuality in a Danish context.
  • details that are relevant to this overall context.

 

Skills in

  • applying research-based knowledge to a special topic within the field of gender and sexuality
  • understanding and reflecting on a special aspect of Danish culture
  • putting this in the perspective of e.g. European cultural history.

 

Competencies in

  • taking an analytical approach to the focused study of an element of the field of gender and sexuality.

Reading materials will be available online through Absalon.

The course is only offered to exchange and fee-paying guest students at the University of Copenhagen.
Class teaching and excursions.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Lectures
  • 0
  • Total
  • 0
Written
Individual
Continuous feedback during the course of the semester
Credit
15 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written assignment
Type of assessment details
Written take-home assigment, optional subject. 11-15 standard pages.
Internal exam with one examiner.
The exam can only be taken individually.
Exam Language: English
Aid
All aids allowed
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Re-exam

Conducted in the same manner as the original exam.

 

 

Criteria for exam assesment

See Learning Outcome

 

Please note: a standard page in relation to the exam syllabus and the submission of take-home assignments, is defined as 2400 key strokes, including spaces. Notes are included when calculating the length of written assignments, but not cover pages, tables of contents, bibliographies, abstract and appendices.