Gender and Politics

Overview

This module introduces students to the centrality of gender and sexuality in shaping political dynamics at the local, national and global level. The module charts the contribution of feminist intersectional scholarship in challenging understandings of politics and international relations as gender-neutral and draws attention to the, often neglected, experiences, agency and political claims of women/gender minorities. Students will have the opportunity to discuss theoretical perspectives and empirical examples as entry points to the gendered complexities of global politics.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this module, students should be able to:



understand how gender interacts with race, class, sexuality and nationality to produce divisions of power, resources and violence;

discuss and assess different feminist perspectives;

apply feminist theories to analyse key issues in global politics and current political problems;

think critically about narratives and practices of politics and international relations.

Skills

Intellectual skills

Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge:identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner

Analytical Thinking:identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments

Critical & Independent Thinking:ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field

Professional and career development skills

Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing

Teamwork: ability to work with others in a team, negotiate conflicts and recognize different ways of learning

Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment

Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development

Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance

Technical and practical skills

Information Technology: demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT

Organizational skills

Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines

Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information

Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way.

Assessment