POLS6008 Gender & Politics
Course Code: POLS6008
Course Tutor: Dr Maki Kimura (Department of Political Science)
Length: One term (Spring Term)
Teaching: 20 hours lectures/seminars
Assessment: Two 2,000 word essays (40/60%)
Credits: 0.5 course units, 4 (US) 7.5 (ECTS)
About this course
The course provides an overview of some key topics and concepts in politics and gender. In weeks one and two, the history of feminism and main feminism and gender theories (including those on intersectionality, post-colonialism and masculinities/masculinism) are explored. The rest of the first part of the course looks at the impact of gender on ‘political’ activities and the concepts and practices of citizenship. It considers what constitutes ‘political’ activities, whether the gender of our political representatives matters, how we might ensure that political institutions are gender balanced and how to develop gender sensitive public policies. The second part of the course has a more international focus considering international women’s movements, the concept of security through gendered lenses, women’s rights and human rights, transnational migration, the impact of gender in armed conflicts, and the role of gender in international development. We will also look at gender ‘policy machinery’, such as specialist government departments and quangos concerned with gender and equality, at both the national and international level. As women are often the underrepresented sex in a variety of political processes, we will therefore regularly discuss the issue of women’s equality. However, throughout the course we will seek to focus on ‘gender’ rather than on ‘women’ and explore how various differences such as gender, class, ethnicity, nationality and sexuality intersect to create inequalities. This also includes the study of the role of masculinity and men’s movements. Various materials (newspaper articles, radio programmes, films etc.) will be used in the course to facilitate discussion on current issues in gender and politics. Each class has a lecture followed by a seminar and participation in discussion is required.
