WMST8007 A Walk on the Wild Side: Gender and International Politics

2016

4.5

1 x 2-hour workshop weekly

WMST8045 has been successfully completed

This topic is only available to students with postgraduate status

Master of Arts (Women's Studies); Graduate Diploma in Gender and Development

This topic is concerned with the demystification of women's contribution to policy, decision-making and social change in International Politics. It will consider the ways that women have empowered themselves politically in both institutional and non-institutional politics across the world. The topic is issues based and, therefore, students will be able to apply these to any geographical region of their choice. In particular, the topic will focus on: gender and international relations, gender and leadership, women and terrorism, women and Islamic politics, women 'freedom fighters', gender and grass roots protest politics, women's international forums, women and the armed forces and gender and difference in international politics. Students will be actively encouraged to pursue their specific research interests within the rubrics of this topic.

This topic considers the dynamics and specificity of gender relations across a range of political platforms and arenas. It aims to confront general preconceptions about where and when women might exert political influence, engage in political action or enter the international political arena. The overall intention is to consider the ways in which women have empowered themselves at all levels of the international political spectrum. It is concerned with the demystification of women's contribution to policy, decision-making and social change in International Politics. We will consider the ways that women have empowered themselves politically in both institutional and non-institutional politics across the world. The topic is issued based and, therefore, students will be able to apply these to any geographical region of choice.

On successful completion of this topic, students should be able to:

• understand and relate to issues pertaining to Gender and International Politics
• critically evaluate the main theories and modes of explanation for the gendered experience of women in different political and cultural contexts
• explore gender issues related to contemporary international politics and present findings verbally and in written form, in accordance with good scholarly practice
• identify and demonstrate the ways in which women are empowered and disempowered in culturally specific political circumstances both within nations and beyond national borders
• undertake an independent research paper on a substantive issue, encompassed within this topic, pursuant to the specific specialist interest of the student