Development Studies (DEST) 375 (L01)
Gender and Development
Winter 2008
Thursday: 14:00 - 16:50. Class dates: January 17 to April 17.

Instructor:	Dr. Ronnie Joy Leah
Office Location:	TBA
Office Phone:	282-6877
E-Mail:	rleah@ucalgary.ca
Web Page:
Office Hours:	TBA

Additional Information

Course Description

In this course we will study the theories, policies and practices of development, with an emphasis on women's lived experiences.  In our study of gender and development, we will incorporate critical analysis from the fields of development studies and women's studies.  We will study theoretical perspectives on gender and development, struggles for women's rights around the world, and women's efforts for sustainable development.  While the primary focus will be on international development, we will also explore issues of development within Canada, including Aboriginal communities.

We will study contemporary issues which impact on women's rights and women's lives, including: gendered division of labour, globalization, world poverty, systemic discrimination, climate change, violence against women, HIV /AIDS.  We will explore alternatives approaches to women and development, and women's strategies for activism and empowerment.  Class attendance is very important: in addition to required readings and assignments, students will be expected to participate actively in class discussions, group work and presentations.

Objectives of the Course

to explore theoretical perspectives on gender and development.

1. to develop critical understandings of development policies and practices, and their impact on women's lives.
2. to understand the interlocking issues of women's human rights, gender inequality, environmental sustainability,  and international development.
3. to develop an awareness of how development issues affect us locally as well as globally.
4. to explore strategies for resistance and empowerment of women and communities.

Textbooks and Readings:

Ø Theoretical Perspectives on Gender and Development, edited by Parpart, Connelly and Barriteau. Ottawa: IDRC, 2000.

• Ø Women's Rights, by Geraldine Terry. Winnipeg: Fernwood, 2007.

 

• Ø Canadian Woman Studies: Women and Sustainability.

Vol. 23, No. 1, Fall/Winter 2003.

Assignments and Evaluation

• Research Proposals 5% due February 28
• Midterm Essays 20% due March 6
• Report on Group Work 10% due March 6
• Poster Presentations 10% in class: April 10 & 17
• Research Projects 25% due April 17
• Take-Home Final Essays 20% due April 28
• Analysis of Group Work 10% due April 28
  

It is the student's responsibility to keep a copy of each submitted assignment.
Note: Please hand in your essays directly to your tutor or instructor if possible. If it is not possible to do so, a daytime drop box is available in SS110; a date stamp is provided for your use. A night drop box is also available for after-hours submission. Assignments will be removed the following morning, stamped with the previous day's date, and placed in the instructor's mailbox.

Registrar-scheduled Final Examination:  No

Please note: If your class is held in the evening, the Registrar's Office will make every attempt to schedule the final exam during the evening; however, there is NO guarantee that the exam will NOT be scheduled during the day.

Policy for Late Assignments

Assignments submitted after the deadline may be penalized with the loss of a grade (e.g.: A- to B+) for each day late.

Writing Skills Statement

Faculty policy directs that all written assignments (including, although to a lesser extent, written exam responses) will be assessed at least partly on writing skills. For details see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/info. Writing skills include not only surface correctness (grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, etc) but also general clarity and organization. Research papers must be properly documented.

If you need help with your writing, you may use the Writing Centre.  Visit the website for more details: www.efwr.ucalgary.ca

Grading System

The following grading system is used in the Faculty of Communication and Culture:

A+ (96-100); A (92-95); A- (86-91); B+ (81-85); B (77-80); B- (71-76);
C+ (65-70); C (62-64); C- (59-61); D+ (55-58); D (50-54); F (0-49)

Plagiarism

Using any source whatsoever without clearly documenting it is a serious academic offense. Consequences include failure on the assignment, failure in the course and possibly suspension or expulsion from the university.

You must document not only direct quotations but also paraphrases and ideas where they appear in your text. A reference list at the end is insufficient by itself. Readers must be able to tell exactly where your words and ideas end and other people's words and ideas begin. This includes assignments submitted in non-traditional formats such as Web pages or visual media, and material taken from such sources.

Please consult your instructor or the Writing Centre (SS 106, efwr.ucalgary.ca) if you have any questions regarding how to document sources.

Students with Disabilities

If you are a student with a disability who may require academic accommodation, it is your responsibility to register with the Disability Resource Centre (220-8237) and discuss your needs with your instructor no later than fourteen (14) days after the start of the course.

Students' Union

For details about the current Students' Union contacts for the Faculty of Communication and Culture see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/su

"SAFEWALK" Program -- 220-5333

Campus Security will escort individuals day or night -- call 220-5333 for assistance. Use any campus phone, emergency phone or the yellow phone located at most parking lot booths.

Schedule of Lectures and Readings

Complete schedule will be distributed in class on January 17.

Assigned Readings are to be completed before each class meeting.

Jan. 17                       Introduction to course themes, assignments / Overview of key concepts

Jan. 24                       Assumptions about development: Women's rights, sustainability, power and inequality

Jan. 31                       Overview of gender and development: Division of labour, women's rights, indigenous cultures

Feb. 7             Theoretical perspectives I: Globalization and women's work; women's inequality

Feb. 14           Theoretical perspectives II: Approaches to international development - North and South

Feb. 28           Theoretical perspectives III: WID and GAD - applications of frameworks

March 6          Alternative approaches to Human Development

March 13        Gender and Environment: sustainable development and climate change

March 20        NGO's and Women's Activism

March 27        Educating for change / Religion, culture and power

April 3             Violence against women / HIV & AIDS

April 10           Women and Sustainability: Alternatives and Activism / Posters

April 17           Poster Presentations