The course offers an introductory exposition to the theories of gender and space aiming at making evident the various ways in which the gender component informs space design and, conversely, the ways in which designed space is conducive to the construction of gender. The course problematizes the distinction between the concept of gender (i.e., a socio-cultural construction) and that of sex (i.e., the so-called "biological identity" of a human). Notably, there is no linguistic distinction between the two concepts in Greek.
The course makes use of gender-related theories which developed in the mid-60s and later. These theories set an interpretative framework for the analysis of gender in both of its manifestations (i.e., socio-cultural and biological) and for its implications in other socio-cultural contexts, such as sexuality, social class, race, ethnicity, age, and able-bodiness. Feminist theories endeavour on the one hand to subvert the dominant conception of space as neutral, sexless, given, and self-evident, and on the other hand to reveal its qualitative diversity based on gender distinctions. They also stress the critical role that architectural and urban design holds in either reproducing or subverting stereotypes and power relations of everyday life.
Gender theories do not compose a strictly defined body of knowledge but partake of a broader interdisciplinary dialogue by being receptive to osmotic influences between different fields of study. Interdisciplinary approaches allowing for interaction and exchange among various disciplines have been (and still are) decisive for the study of gender & space issues. Nowadays interpretation occurs more and more within the vast domain of free-flowing and overlapping areas in an effort to overcome commonplace bipolarities, such as those of man-woman, public-private, work-home. By paying attention to elements of difference and particularity of gender, a range of "other" spaces gain prominence for the researcher: indistinct, secluded, borderline, marginal, of the edges, and so forth. Such spaces situate the gendered subject more freely as they accept it in the context of their innate contradictions while disclosing violence as an essential part of their existence.
