The range of characteristics and roles attributed to women and men, i.e. gender identities, and the sexual attributions being made, i.e. gay, lesbian, straight, etc. are grounded in ethnic and religious identities, age and class categories, access to political power and so on. These result in gender and sexual distinctions that give rise to different experiences and entitlements in civil society and citizenship.

The Gender, Sexuality and Society programme offers students the opportunity to enhance their understanding of the gender and sexual differences between groups and persons in an era of globalisation and transnational migration. During this programme, students will systematically address structurally embedded norms concerning gender relations and sexual behaviour, together with other analytical variables such as class, ethnicity, religion, age and politics. The programme offers students an interdisciplinary approach to some of the main concerns of our time.

For students interested in this field of study, we also offer a two-year Research Master’s.

Studying Gender, Sexuality and Society at the University of Amsterdam

The programme in Gender, Sexuality and Society benefits from its location both in the city of Amsterdam and at the UvA, a major centre for social science research. Amsterdam is notorious for its red light district, but the visibility of sex work in the city is just one of the many complex issues relating to gender and sexuality that get played out in the Netherlands' biggest urban centre.

Our students learn from an environment where problems concerning gender and sexuality and their interaction with issues of migration, economic stratification, urban development and mainstream and underground urban cultures are constantly present.

The Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research (AISSR) houses a number of international researchers who work on topics in gender and sexuality studies. Many of these researchers serve as lecturers and student advisers in Gender, Sexuality and Society.