Module: Law & Body Politics

Latest Module Specifications

Current Academic Year 2025 - 2026

Module Title	Law & Body Politics
Module Code	LAW1031 (ITS: LG3480)
Faculty	Law & Government	School	Humanities & Social Sciences
NFQ level	8	Credit Rating	10

Description

This module is designed to introduce students to the study and research of the role of law in the highly contested area of the body. The module will consider and evaluate a range of theoretical and critical literature around the treatment of the body in law. It will consider the very different clashing perspectives which exist with respect to the role of legal regulation of issues relating to the body such as prostitution, assisted human reproduction, genital cuttings etc. It will also consider law as a political sphere within which issues relating to the body, gender and sexuality are negotiated.

Learning Outcomes

1. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of theoretical perspectives on the construction of the body.
2. Appreciate the role of the law in regulating and constructing the body.
3. Establish a systematic integrated and critical awareness of the possibility of deploying Law to achieve equality
4. Demonstrate an awareness of the limitations of law in addressing issues relating to corporality.
5. Evaluate law and policy in light of various competing approaches to difficult issues.
6. Distil complex and disparate sources of research and data relating to law and body politics and express same with clarity and coherence.
7. Develop advanced reasoned arguments, challenging assumptions and reaching sound informed judgments about issues relating to law and corporality.
8. Communicate ideas orally in an effective manner and argue, advocate, present and persuade with clarity and accuracy.

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full time hours per semester
Lecture	24	No Description
Independent Study	176	No Description
Assignment Completion	50	No Description
Total Workload: 250

Section Breakdown
CRN	20602	Part of Term	Semester 2
Coursework	0%	Examination Weight	0%
Grade Scale	40PASS	Pass Both Elements	Y
Resit Category	RC1	Best Mark	N
Module Co-ordinator	Stephen Linnane	Module Teacher	Iain McMenamin, Ronan Condon, Tanya Ní Mhuirthile

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Assessment Breakdown
Assignment	n/a	100%	Week 1

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories; RC1: A resit is available for both^* components of the module. RC2: No resit is available for a 100% coursework module. RC3: No resit is available for the coursework component where there is a coursework and summative examination element. ^* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a coursework/summative examination split; where the module is 100% coursework, there will also be a resit of the assessment

Pre-requisite	None
Co-requisite	None
Compatibles	None
Incompatibles	None

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Indicative Reading List

Books:

0: Bridgeman & Mills, 1995, Law and Body Politics: Regulating the Female Body, Dartmouth, 1711552
0: Butler, J., 1993, Bodies That Matter: On the Discursive Limits of Sex, Routledge, 1711553
0: Butler, J., 1999, Gender Trouble (2nd ed) Routledge, 1711554
0: Cornell, D., 1998, At the Heart of Freedom : Feminism, Sex, and Equality, Princeton University Press, 1711555
0: Dines, Jensen and Russ, 1988, The Production and Consumption of Inequality Routledge, 1711556
0: Fausto-Sterling, 2000, Sexing the Body: Gender Politics and the Construction of Sexuality, Basic Books, 1711557
0: Fineman, M., Jackson, J.E., and Romero, A.P., 2009 Feminist and Queer Legal Theory: Intimate Encounters, Uncomfortable Conversations, Ashgate, 1711558
0: Gill, A.K., and Sundari, A., 2011 Forced Marriage: Introducing a Social Justice and Human Rights Perspective, Zed Books, 1711559
0: Hosken, F.P., 1994, The Hosken Report: Genital/Sexual Mutilation of Females (4th ed.) Women's International Network News, 1711560
0: Hossain, S. and Welchman, L., 2005 'Honour': Crimes, Paradigms and Violence Against Women, Zed Books,

Articles:
None

Other Resources

None