PA994-7-FY-CO:
Dissertation: Gender and Sexuality Studies
2023/24
Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies
Colchester Campus
Full Year
Postgraduate: Level 7
Current
Thursday 05 October 2023
Friday 28 June 2024
60
30 August 2022
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
PA991
(none)
(none)
This module provides the framework for students to complete their dissertation projects. Dissertations are an important part of the MA Gender and Sexuality Studies, representing an intellectual journey where students can apply the knowledge gained and use this in a creative way to deepen understanding of themes and issues they are interested in.
Time and energy can be devoted, in a supported environment, to demonstrate something significant about students' insights and understanding. It can be thought of as the culmination of the MA. Although students should be thinking and working on dissertations by developing ideas and exploring literature throughout the year it will be mainly written over the summer term and summer vacation period. Throughout this time students will be supported by their dissertation supervisors.
Students will have had specific training exposure to key theories, methodologies, and objects of study throughout this module. data collection tools and ethical issues/approaches, as well as dissertation writing skills. We also recommend students attend any research forums, and the Open Seminars, all of which enable students' to encounter other people's research work. Throughout the MA journey students are encouraged to discuss emerging ideas, and potential dissertation aims and objectives with peers, lecturers, and personal tutors.
The aims of this module are:
1. To support students in undertaking a substantial research enquiry within the multidisciplinary field of gender and sexuality studies
2. To provide an opportunity for students to consider and develop their own original research aims and objectives
3. To encourage reflection and critical analysis of relevant literature, theory, methodologies and tools to support a sustained research enquiry
4. To provide an opportunity for students to engage with data analysis and develop conclusions from research undertaken
5. To provide a space in which to interrogate and reflect upon the research process.
1. To undertake a substantial research enquiry in the multidisciplinary field of gender and sexuality studies.
2. To conceive appropriate research aims, objectives, methodologies and tools to support the enquiry
3. To engage in a sustained and critical analysis of relevant literature and empirical research
4. To designed and implemented appropriate empirical and/or theoretical approaches to research
5. To engage in data analysis as appropriate to the research
6. To interrogate and reflect upon the research process
The MA Dissertation represents the culmination of the MA experience and an opportunity for students to demonstrate understanding of advanced scholarship and creative use of knowledge and understanding in a topic area of their choosing. This is demonstrated through the completion of a 2,000 word proposal and a 12,000 word dissertation detailing the undertaking of a substantial research enquiry in the field of Gender and Sexuality Studies.
Students will be introduced to the dissertation through 5 focused workshop sessions in the Spring term which encourage them to begin thinking about topics, areas of personal or professional interest, or theoretical perspectives that they may wish to explore. Students are encouraged to discuss these with personal tutors, peers, and module lecturers throughout the MA journey.
At the end of these sessions, students will be required to produce a proposal for a piece of research. Upon completion of the research proposal, and receipt of feedback, students will present their dissertation ideas and proposals at the outset of the summer term. These are short, compulsory, formative, presentations designed to support students in refining research ideas and actively responding to feedback. They also aide in the appropriate decision making about supervision arrangements. Upon allocation of a supervisor, students will consider the necessity of any ethical approval applications that may be necessary and be supported to submit an application in line with University of Essex research ethics guidelines, available at:
https://www1.essex.ac.uk/langling/documents/current_students/Ethics_Guidelines_MS.pdf
While students are encouraged to consider the dissertation throughout the MA journey the bulk of the research and writing up will take place in the summer term and summer vacation period. Students will be supported throughout this process by their supervisor.
This module is supported by 5 workshop sessions. These sessions will cover critical topics, including: Developing a Research Topic; Researching and Referencing; Feminist Methodology; Literature Reviews; and Drafting, Organization, and Structure.
Supervisors will provide at least four hours of supervision, not including time spent reading drafts of written work. How this time is allocated should be mutually decided by the supervisor and the student. There may be a flurry of short meetings to support an ethical approval application (as relevant) and then one or two longer meetings to discuss drafts of dissertation sections, for example. There is no one right way and supervision may take place in a variety of ways including email conversations, phone calls, face to face meetings and zoom calls.
The supervisor’s role specifically includes:
Helping to focus on research objectives and narrow down project focus.
Advising on the feasibility of a research strategy, including subject and methodology.
Provide feedback and further guidance on elements of the research
Support you in identifying appropriate literature and sources
Advise on the various stages of the research process, such as literature reviewing, data collection, analysis or presentation of work
Assist in structuring the dissertation
Comment on written drafts of the dissertation, that constitute no more than 25% of the written piece.
Students are advised that staff are available to support them over the summer vacation but that they should ensure to make arrangements with supervisors on an individual basis before the end of the summer term.
Students are encouraged to feel able to approach any member of the PPS Department to discuss dissertation topics, approaches and/or potential supervision.
Included in the allocated teaching hours are a day for presenting research topics with supervisors and peers and 4 hours of individual supervision (excluding the reading of draft work).
This module does not appear to have a published bibliography for this year.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
Dissertation |
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Additional coursework information
The final dissertation of 12000 words +/- 10% should be submitted by mid-September (see PGT Handbook for submission date). The dissertation accounts for 60 credits of the 180 credit programme.
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Magda-Agata Schmukalla, email: m.schmukalla@essex.ac.uk.
From Dept Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies
ppspgt@essex.ac.uk Room 5A.202
No
No
No
Dr James Burford
Warwick University
Assistant Professor of Global Education and International Development
Available via Moodle
No lecture recording information available for this module.
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