Purpose:

The purpose of the Bachelor of Arts Honours in Gender Studies is to prepare learners for research-based postgraduate study. The qualification serves to consolidate and deepen a learner's knowledge of the field and to develop research capacity in the methodology and techniques of that field. The qualification demands a high level of theoretical engagement and intellectual independence. Upon completion of this qualification, qualifying learners will be able to:

1. Demonstrate an advanced understanding of and critical insight into the principles, theories and methodological approaches underpinning the field of Gender Studies.
2. Apply advanced knowledge and skills to critically discuss and debate complex issues in gender studies.
3. Critically reflect on the diversity of approaches to the generation of knowledge and what constitutes knowledge and research in gender studies.
4. Access information from a diverse range of sources to address complex problems and issues in gender studies.
5. Evaluate the sources and the information and use this information to develop and sustain an argument in which different knowledge perspectives and interests are integrated, multiple views accommodated, and creative tension managed.
6. Undertake independent and original research in a specialized area of gender studies, starting from identifying a research problem, collecting data, and analyzing the data, to completion of the research and preparation of the research report.
7. Demonstrate advanced knowledge of professional ethics in gender studies and apply this in their work, decisions, and actions.
8. Communicate confidently and effectively, orally and in writing, to professional and lay audiences using appropriate language and technology.
9. Work effectively as part of a group, taking the lead when required and taking full responsibility for personal work and that of the team members when appropriate.

Rationale:

Gender Equality is currently one of the international and national priority areas and a central tenet of the South African constitution. The qualification seeks to build on learners' knowledge and to provide them with specialized skills and theoretical competence in the field of gender dynamics. Furthermore, the qualification provides learners with skills to apply the acquired knowledge to solve complex gender-based problems in contemporary societies. Gender Studies aims to provide learners with an understanding of how gender operates within systems and institutions to create imbalances of power. The qualification will be transdisciplinary in nature and will draw learners from across various disciplines including Agriculture, Social Sciences, Development Studies and more. The focus of the qualification will be to advance learners' in-depth knowledge of gender theories, praxis as well as a feminist-based research methodology. Such research can inform policy and development strategies specific to the province, country, and continent. The qualification offers an alternative angle of vision or worldview and understanding of the social world in which we live, and which shapes our lives. It looks beyond normal, taken-for-granted views of reality to provide deeper, more illuminating, and challenging understandings of social life. Through its analytical perspective, theories, and research methods, Gender Studies is a discipline that expands on gender awareness and analysis of the human social relationships, cultures, violence, and institutions that profoundly shape both our lives and human history. Qualifying learners will be prepared for further postgraduate studies but will also be able to join the workforce and work in Higher Education Institutions, International and Governmental and Non-Governmental Organizations and the private sector.