Gender & Development Fall 2010

The Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University

Sustainable International Development Graduate Program

HS283f –Gender and Development – Module I Fall 2014

Tuesdays 9:00 – 11:50 p.m. Room TBD

Prof. Cristina Espinosa

Office: Heller 159

Description

This module introduces students to the field of gender and development, examining the politics and policies of international development from a gender-sensitive perspective. The notions of "development" and “gender” will be framed within their historical and political contexts, and examine how development differently affects women and men according to their class, ethnicity, geography, age and seniority. We will also explore the ways in which gender asymmetries have been addressed within development, the different approaches to mainstreaming gender and their impact on development policies and organizations.

This module will heavily rely on students’ participation. Students are expected to come prepared to class, having read the assigned readings and identified key ideas, facts and concepts as well as what is not clear in the readings, what issues and questions these readings suggest to them and being ready to share these questions with the class.

Learning objectives:

By the end of this module, students will be able to:

· Understand the importance of gender in development

· Discuss the meanings of development, their goals and how they relate to gender issues;

· Understand the theoretical debate about gender and women issues and the practical implications of different gender approaches on development;

· Identify facts and trends related to the differential impact of development on gender, especially for the case of developing countries;

· Have a critical understanding of the process of mainstreaming gender within development

· Express their own ideas orally and in written and use facts, concepts and theories to debate important issues related to gender and development.

· Feel more confident about understanding readings, relating them to personal concerns about development, and sharing this during class discussion.

Measurable Learning Outcomes:

· Understand how development policies programs and discourses emerged after WWII and how they redefined the relations between “developed” and “developing” countries

· Understand the different meanings for development, especially sustainable development and understand the challenges

· Understand how the field of gender evolved from Women in Development to GAD and what are the differences between efficiency/empowerment approaches, between gender and feminist approaches

· Be aware of feminist and poststructuralist critiques of gender and development

· Contrast the macro/micro and North/South perspectives to gender and development

· Understand main contemporary trends brought by globalization, such as the femenization of poverty, the femenization of labor, the myth of the breadwinner, changes in migratory patterns, urbanization and informalization of developing countries, women trafficking, etc.

· Be aware of the Millenium Goals and the role of global meetings like Beijing, Vienna, Cairo to advance the agenda on gender equity and fighting poverty

· Be aware of the complexities and challenges to integrate gender equity within development

Course Requirements

Full and timely attendance is required for students enrolled in this class. Prior to each session, students are expected to come prepared to class, having read the assigned readings and identified key ideas, facts and concepts as well as what is not clear in the readings, what issues and questions these readings suggest to them and being ready to share these questions with the class.

The specific nature of the assignments will depend on the number of students enrolled; nevertheless, students are required to timely submit their assignments: students have to submit three of the five weekly assignments, following the questions included in this syllabus. A print out copy is to be delivered in class before the session that discuss the chosen topic. In addition, students must bring to each session at least one question they want the class discussion to focus (it can be about clarifying a topic or concept, some confusion in the reading or some issue the reading raises for her/him). More instructions on this will be provided in class. The idea is to give students opportunities to stir the class discussion in the direction they feel is important, in order to make the class relevant to their particular needs and interests.

Additional assignments, such as students’ presentation, paper or exam will be announced in class once the number of students enrolled in the class is confirmed. The final grade will be calculated based on class participation in discussion (30%), three weekly assignments (40%) individual/group presentations and/or final paper or final exam (30%). Specifics will be announced once the number of students enrolled is confirmed.

Students should know this course provides a safe space for all of us to express our opinions and express disagreements, to contrast different ideas in a safe environment of respect and tolerance. We are all expected to maintain cordial and collegial interactions in class. Originality, seriousness and honesty are required during class discussion and when preparing assignments.

Academic honesty

Students are expected to be honest in all of their academic work. The university policy on academic honesty is distributed annually as section 5 of the Rights and Responsibilities handbook. Instances of alleged dishonesty are subject to possible judicial action. Potential actions include failure of the course and suspension from the University. Academic integrity is central to the mission of educational excellence at Brandeis University. Each student is expected to turn in work completed independently, except when assignments specifically authorize collaborative effort. It is not acceptable to use the words or ideas of another person –be it a world-class philosopher or your roommate –without proper acknowledge; you must use footnotes and quotations marks to indicate the source of phrases, sentences, paragraphs or ideas found in published volumes, internet or expressed by another student. Consult the instructor if you need clarification on this topic.

Required Readings will be available at LATTE.

This course will start September 2, and go through September 9, 16, 30, October 7, 14 and 21.

Sessions and readings

Session #1

Introducing the course. This session will provide an opportunity to get to know each other, our background and expectations for this class. This session will explore and clarify the meanings of Gender, gender roles, ideologies and hierarchies and how they relate to the goal of sustainable development.

Video: Top of Form

Required Readings (posted in LATTE and in MyHeller):

· Monsen J. 2010. “Introduction. Gender is a Development Issue.” In Gender and Development. New York: Routledge (second edition)

· Espinosa, 2012. Gender 101

Guiding Questions for the required readings

1. What is the definition of gender as presented in Monsen (2010) and how it is different from sex? Please provide your own examples following the analysis presented by her.

2. What are gender relations and what are key characteristics of gender roles as presented in Monsen (2010)? Please provide your own examples following her analysis and examples

3. Why are the main reasons gender is a development issue, as presented in Monsen (2010)?

4. How does Monsen (2010) defines gender equality and how is this important for development?

5. What are some of the positive and negative changes development (understood as economic growth, modernization and expansion of democratic rule and expansion of human rights) has had in terms of gender roles and relation, and more specifically in terms of women’s roles, status, material well-being, rights, entitlements and agency?

Weekly Assignment:

Please read the required reading and bring printed to class clear and succinct responses to two of the guiding questions presented above for the required readings (no more than 2 pages max); also watch one of the videos.

· Gender role reversal in Hibitoe tribe of Papua New Guinea (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkcxSL8klgs&feature=related) .

· Making Men and Women Equal-A Long Journey.wmv (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxLoEK9EhxM)

Session #2

Understanding the concept of gender and the different approaches to mainstream gender into development – discussing the role of men in development and to achieve gender equity. In this session we will review how gender was understood and addressed by different apprroaches developed to mainstream gender into development organizations, policies and interventions and how these different approaches have dealt with the role of men in this process.

Required Reading:

· Chant Sylvia and Mathew Gutman. 2007. Mainstreaming Men into Gender and Development. Oxford, UK: Oxfam House. Chapter 2 is required & Chapter 3 is optional

Guiding Questions for the required readings:

1. What main problem did the WID approach target (in terms of development deficits) in the early 1970s as presented by Chant and Gutman (2007)?

2. What was the focus of WID in terms of “analytical and operational category”? What conceptual, implementation and political problems associated with this focus are presented by Chant and Gutman (2004)?

3. What three main WID approaches are presented by Chant and Gutman (2004)?

4. What is the basic theoretical premise of GAD and what are the multiple factors affecting gender as presented by Chant and Gutman (2004)? What major differences are presented in this reading between WID and GAD and how that provides different ways of understanding the role of men in development and the different notions of “gender mainstreaming”?

5. What are some of the risks of adopting GAD for gender mainstreaming (instead of WID) and to include men in the “gender mainstreaming”, as presented by Chant and Gutman (2004)?

Weekly Assignment:

Videos:

· “Since I am a Girl. The story of female infanticide.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrsNcnAtvKE&feature=related

· Examining the changing roles of men and women in rice production in response to climate change (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TlNIJowBdk

Session # 3 4: Gender, households & Poverty

The goal of these sessions is to understand the links between gender hierarchies and role and the process of reproduction and the role of households to understand poverty; critical review of some approaches to gender and poverty like the “poverty trap” in the context of mainstreaming gender within development.

Required Readings:

· Momsen, J. 2010. “Reproduction.” In Momen J. 2010. Gender and Development. New York: Routledge. (Chapter 3)

· Cecile Jackson. 1996. “Rescuing Gender from the Poverty Trap.” World Development Vol 24, Issue 23. March 1996: 486-504

· Buvinic, Mayra. 1997. “Women in Poverty: A New Global Underclass.” Foreign Policy No. 108:38-53

· Marcoux, Alain. 1998. “The Feminization of Poverty: Claims, Facts and Data Needs.” Population and Development Review Vol 24 No.1

Guiding Questions

1. What is referred to as biological and social reproduction by Monsen 2010, how they relate to gender roles and how this affect the different access and performance of girls and boys in regard to education? Provide examples based on your experience.

2. How does Buvinic defines the “feminization of poverty” as a global trend and what are the implications of this trend for development?

3. What is the empirical reference used by Buvinic to argue for the thesis of the “femenization of poverty?

4. What does Jackson (1996) refers as the “poverty trap” approach within gender mainstreaming in development and why is it problematic to advance the agenda of gender equality?

5. Why using sex of the household head is not a sound indicator when it comes to explore the links between gender and poverty, according to Jackson (1996)?

6. What is the main critique of Marcoux to Buvinic thesis that the increase of female-headed households observed world-wide automatically translates into the “70% of women being in poverty”?