Structured as a journey across diverse global contexts, it draws on ethnographic case studies to explore how ideas about identity are shaped by history, religion, race, and inequality. From Tongan fakaleitī to Indian hijra and Mexican muxe, we examine forms of belonging that both inhabit and unsettle social norms around gender, sexuality and the body.

Engaging with queer theory and everyday life, students are invited to question what counts as universal—and to rethink the body, its (assumed) gender and sexuality as a crucial site through which difference, desire, and possibility are expressed.

Coordinator

Michiel Baas

Timetable

You can find the timetable on Datanose.

Entry requirements

Open to second-year and third-year UvA Bachelor's students and other interested parties, such as contract students or students from other Dutch higher education institutions. Master's students can only participate if there are still spots available.

Registration

UvA Bachelor's students can register from 8 to 15 June 2026 in the GLASS registration rounds. Master’s students can send a short motivation to keuzeonderwijs-iis@uva.nl.

‘Bijvak’ students and contract students can register from 8 June 2026 until two weeks prior to the start of the course, by completing the online registration form.

If you have any trouble while registering, please contact us at keuzeonderwijs-iis@uva.nl.

Please note: as a contract student you can choose to participate either including or excluding assessment. If you choose the latter, you only have access to the seven lectures of the course. If you also wish to attend the seminars, please choose 'including assessment'.

Costs

Prices can be found on the IIS website.

SDGs in education

The IIS strives to reflect current societal issues and challenges in our elective courses, honours modules and degree programmes and attempts to integrate the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in this course. For more information about these goals, please visit the SDGs website.