MWG-103 IGNOU Guess Paper 2026-27

Course Scope and Syllabus Overview for MWG-103: Constructing Gender Through Arts and Media

MWG-103 is a core course within the Master of Arts in Women’s and Gender Studies (MAWGSR) under IGNOU’s School of Gender and Development Studies. This course critically examines the intersections between gender, arts, and media, exploring how cultural representations shape and challenge gender norms. Through interdisciplinary analysis, students engage with theoretical frameworks, literary texts, cinematic narratives, performance studies, and visual arts to dissect gender constructions. The curriculum fosters analytical rigor, encouraging students to evaluate media’s role in reinforcing or subverting patriarchal structures while preparing them for rigorous term-end assessments.

Key Syllabus Units and Topics

• Block-1: Gender and Literature: This unit investigates how feminist literary theories—such as those of Judith Butler and Gayatri Spivak—deconstruct gender binaries in canonical and contemporary texts, analyzing narratives for subversive or hegemonic gender representations.
• Block-2: Gender, Film and Cinema: Students explore cinematic techniques and genres (e.g., Bollywood’s feminist narratives, feminist film theory) to assess how film constructs gender identities, class, and sexuality, with case studies from global and Indian cinema.
• Block-3: Gender and Performance: Focusing on theater, dance, and performance art, this block examines how bodies and spaces perform gender, referencing works by scholars like Judith Halberstam and Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick.
• Block-4: Visualising Gender: The unit critiques visual media (photography, advertising, digital art) for gender stereotypes, drawing on postcolonial and queer visual studies to interrogate power dynamics in visual culture.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the marking scheme for MWG-103’s term-end examination, and how are internal and external assessments weighted?
A: The TEE for MWG-103 carries 100 marks, with internal assignments (e.g., block-based assignments) contributing 30% of the total grade, while the term-end exam accounts for the remaining 70%. Focus on both theoretical depth and application-based questions.

Q: Are there recurring themes or questions in MWG-103 exams, and how can I prioritize revision based on past papers?
A: Themes like feminist film analysis, gender in literature, and visual media critiques frequently repeat; prioritize solving 5–10 years of past TEE papers to identify high-weightage topics and time management strategies for the 3-hour exam.