Politics, Sexuality and Gender

Politics, sexuality, and gender are deeply intertwined. Questions about who holds power, whose lives are protected by law, and whose experiences are recognised as legitimate are inseparable from questions about gender identity, sexual orientation, and the social structures that shape both. A degree that brings these fields together offers a rigorous framework for understanding how political institutions, social movements, and cultural norms interact to produce the world as it is, and how it might be otherwise.

At the University of Brighton, you will engage with critical frameworks from feminist, queer, and trans theory, applying them to contemporary political questions such as reproductive rights, trans inclusion, the politics of sexuality in international contexts, and the organised opposition to gender equality that has become a significant force in many parts of the world. You will develop the analytical tools to examine these issues historically and comparatively, understanding how different societies and political systems have approached questions of gender and sexuality in different ways and with different outcomes. The programme develops your capacity for critical thinking, close reading of political texts and policy, and engagement with debates that are both intellectually challenging and immediately relevant.

A sandwich year and work placement are available, offering opportunities to connect your academic study with practical experience in sectors where these issues are live and contested.

Graduates are well-prepared for careers in politics, public policy, advocacy, journalism, the charity sector, and equalities work. Many go on to roles in NGOs, human rights organisations, government departments, or local authorities, where expertise in gender and sexuality policy is increasingly valued. Academic careers in political science, sociology, or gender studies are also a natural route, and postgraduate study in these fields offers the opportunity to pursue original research on questions you care about deeply.