Dr. Barbara Holler

COURSE OBJECTIVES

The aim of this course is to provide an introduction to the theoretical perspectives and main issues that have informed current thinking in gender and development. The course introduces you to key concepts in the analysis of social relations between women/girls and men/boys in different cultural, economic and political contexts. The course is thus not about women per se, but about socially constructed relations within a variety of contexts. We examine gendered processes within areas such as masculinities in development discourse, gender and work in the global economy, and education and gender inequality.

The course introduces key conceptual issues for understanding gender relations, and explores issues of intervention and policy, taking the perspective of a range of different agents for change in the lives of women and men. We examine how the measures and processes of development are gendered as well as what policies and institutions have been set in place both nationally and internationally to address gender (in)equalities. Each week, different theoretical perspectives are illustrated and discussed through reference to concrete empirical applications and case studies.  The course aims to provide you with an understanding of conceptual issues of gender as well as with a more practical and policy orientated understanding of gender planning and development.

COURSE ORGANIZATION

The course will be taught through weekly lectures and workshops. 

The students are expected to have read at least the Essential Readings every week, and class discussions will focus on these and on the Key Questions included in the course document.  A course reader will be provided to students. Additional readings will be available through the library and online resources. Theoretical texts will be supplemented with case studies from a wide range of geographical settings. Classes will involve a combination of small group work, group discussions and presentations.

OBJECTIVES

• To introduce and critically assess theories and practices of WID, WAD and GAD.
• To assess the importance of gender to development projects.
• To critique existing development strategies and assess the prospects for the global south.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

• To develop an understanding of the connections between and critical perspective of gender and development issues.
• To understand the differential impact of development on men and women.
• To identify the major development challenges and to critically assess the effectiveness of the responses to these challenges.
• To develop a critical perspective as to future development prospects for Africa and how projects can best serve the needs of all.

COURSE ASSESSMENT

The course is examined through a learning diary summarizing and highlighting key issues raised during lectures and seminar discussions. Furthermore, a critical film review will be used to assess abilities of students to critically engage with gender and development. Lastly, a final essay submitted in week 4 of Summer Term provides the final component of the assessment for this course. Students are also expected to prepare for class discussions and to make presentations in class.

FIELD STUDIES

The first field study will take you to the Mass Observation Archive located at the University of Sussex. The Mass Observation Archive is made up of various types of material collected both in the early period (1937 to mid-1950s) and the current project (1981 onwards). 'Raw' material in the form of diaries, observations etc. Here you will have the opportunity to explore ideas related to gender in a variety of forms across time. During the same day we will have the opportunity to visit the Institute of Development Studies to participate in a ‘Gender and Development’ workshop aimed at exploring issues related to gender inequality in a global context.

The second field study will take us to London where we will explore the exhibitions of the Women’s Library, at London Metropolitan University. The Women's Library's collection is designated by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council as of outstanding national and international importance. In 2011 The Women's Library was included in the UNESCO Memory of the World Register: 'Documentary Heritage of the Women's Suffrage Movement in Britain, 1865-1928' alongside the Parliamentary Archives. The collection documents women's lives through the ages including every aspect of women's lives from women's rights, suffrage, sexuality, health, education, employment, feminism, reproductive rights to the family and the home. Even though the emphasis is primarily on women in Britain, there is some important international material is included. The Sadd Brown Trust Fund has supported the specific inclusion of materials related to women in the commonwealth. The collection is actively managed to capture diverse women's voices of the past, present and future.

 

COURSE CONTENT:

Week 1	Introduction to the course
	Lecture 1: Gender concepts and relations: Biology and Culture
Week 2	Lecture 1: From WID to GAD: Gender as Social Relations
	Lecture 2: Critiquing feminist approaches to development
	Case Study: From theoretical debates to everyday realities
Week 3	Lecture 1: Perspectives on Masculinities
	Lecture 2: Masculinities, social structure and social change
	Case Study: HIV, sex and health
Week 4	Lecture 1: Gender, Labour and livelihoods
	Lecture 2: Gender, paid work and global labour markets
	Case Study: Migration: The case of nannies, maids and domestic workers
Week 5	Lecture 1: Education and gender inequality
	Lecture 2: Gender, power and empowerment
	Case Study: Children’s Work: Gender, Generation and Development
Week 6	Lecture 1: Repositioning gender: The business of development
	Lecture 2: Gender equality and mainstreaming gender
	Case Study: Rwanda and poverty reduction strategies

 

RECOMMENDED READINGS

Visvanathan, N. et. al. (eds) 1997 The Women, Gender and Development Reader. London: Zed Books.

Cornwall, A, Edström, E. and Greig, A. (eds.) 2011 Men and Development. London: Zed Books.

Cornwall, A., Harrison, E. and Whitehead, A. (eds.) 2006. Feminisms in Development: Contradictions, Contestations and Challenges. London: Zed Books.

Kevane, M. 2004 Women and Development in Africa: How Gender Works. London: Lynne Rienner. Publishers.

Jackson, C. and R. Pearson (eds.) 1998. Feminist Visions of Development: Gender Analysis and Policy. London: Routledge.