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Department of Development Studies

Gender and development

Course Code:
15PDSH010
Unit value:
0.5
Taught in:
Term 2
The purpose of this course is to familiarise students with the main analytic debates in the field of gender and development. Four institutional domains (households, family and kinship, the market, the community and the state) through which gender relations are both defined and transformed receive separate attention. An introductory survey of conceptual approaches to gender is followed by a treatment of central topics which include: the move from WID (women in development) to GAD (gender and development) as critical perspectives in development studies, conceptual approaches to households, men and masculinities in development, globalisation and women’s employment, gender, state and governance, women’s movements and state-civil society relations, gender, conflict and post-conflict, and finally an appraisal of prospects for gender-aware planning and empowerment.

Objectives and learning outcomes of the course

By the end of this course students should be able to command and demonstrate the following knowledge and skills:

  • familiarity with key analytic debates in the field of gender and development
  •  an ability to relate these debates to development theory, policy and practice
  •  an ability to comprehend and manipulate complex analytical arguments
  •  an ability to evaluate the impact of development interventions (policies, projects and institutional reform) on issues of gender equity and empowerment.

Workload

Teaching takes place through a weekly 1 hour lecture and 1 hour tutorial.

Method of assessment

70% examination, 30% coursework. Each student will be expected to submit one essay of no more than 3000 words, worth 30%. Resubmission of coursework regulations apply.