Syllabus
Gender and International Development (HSA 324)

This is the Summer 2007 syllabus. See the appropriate syllabus for the semester you are interested in.

This is a three-credit graduate course and is one in a series of courses in the online Humanitarian Services Administration program developed by the University of Connecticut's Center for Continuing Studies. This course is an elective course in the online Master of Professional Studies degree with a field of study in Humanitarian Services Administration.  The developer of this course is Dr. Lucy Creevey.

Course Title: Gender and International Development (HSA 324)

Credits: 3

Instructor: Lucy Creevey, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science Emeritus

E-mail: Lucy.Creevey@uconn.edu

This course provides the student with essential understanding of the factors that shape the social, political and economic roles of women in developing countries. The course will include considerations of specific projects aimed at integrating women into community development and the costs and benefits of various development alternatives as perceived by outside agencies and by the women themselves.

By the end of the semester, students will be able to:

• Recognize the social, economic, and political differences between men and women in developing countries.
• Answer the question, "Is gender inequality a matter of human injustice or is it a matter of cultural preference?"
• Describe the way “Western” scholars approach the study of women internationally and the reactions of scholars from “developing” countries.
• Describe the impact of religion on the position of women, with special emphasis on the question of whether fundamentalism restricts women's rights in society.
• Assess the extent to which micro finance and micro enterprise programs may empower women.

Grading Procedures:

Students will be asked to write a short paper at the end of each module (5 to 6 pages each.) For each of the four modules, students will be asked to respond to a list of questions pertaining to the readings (maximum 1 page per question, 4 to 6 questions under each topic.) Each student will also be expected to engage in the discussion forum by commenting on the responses to questions from 2 or 3 other students.

• Short Papers - 48% of grade
• Question Answers - 40% of grade
• Participation in Discussion - 12% of grade

Students should be free to express their own views throughout the course. A student's grade will not be penalized for views different from the instructor or other students.

Short Papers

Each student will choose one of the following countries: India, Iran, Nigeria, Mexico, Brazil, or China . At the end of each module, students will write a brief paper on their country covering one of the themes or issues suggested for that module. Students are required to consult sources other than the assigned readings for these papers. Papers are expected to include a reference list and appropriate footnotes. Grading is based on clear, thoughtful presentation and analysis of the issue as it applies to the selected country.

Answers to Module Questions

Each answer is worth a maximum of two (2) points. A two point answer is a clear, thoughtful response reflecting some of the reading(s) and the student's interpretation thereof.

Participation in Discussion (Comments on other students' answers to module questions)

Student's thoughtful, insightful commentary and/or suggestions of important additional factors for consideration are worth three (3) points in each module.

You are responsible for acting in accordance with the Student Code, available at http://www.dosa.uconn.edu/student_code.cfm?from=im&fn=Judicial%20Affairs.

These texts are available through the Storrs UConn Co-op. Please visit our page on buying textbooks for more information.

Required Texts:
Visvanathan, N., Duggan, L., Nisonoff, L., & Wiegersma, N. (Eds.). (1997). The women, gender and development reader. Zed Books. ISBN: 1-85649-142-0

The World Bank. (2001). Engendering development: Through gender equality in rights, resources, and voice. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. ISBN: 0-19-521596-6

Joseph, W., Kesselman, M., & Krieger, J. (Eds.). (2004). Introduction to politics of the developing world (3rd ed.). Houghton Mifflin. ISBN: 0-618-21447-X or 4th edition, 2007, ISBN: 0-618-60448-0.

The required course bookpack is available through the UConn Co-op.

Required Articles
These are provided in the course through the Electronic Course Reserve (ECR).

• Creevey, L. (1996). Changing women's lives and work: An analysis of eight microenterprise projects. London: IT Publications. [Chapter on Ghana, pp. 150-169.]
• Creevey, L. (1997). Evaluation on the impacts of grassroots management training on women in India (with Jim Edgerton). The Canadian Journal of Development Studies XVIR.
• Creevey, L. (2004). Women's access to political power in Senegal. Article submitted for publication review.
• Kevane, M. (2004). Development projects for women. In Women and Development in Africa: How Gender Works (pp. 159-179). Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publisher.
• Moghadem, V. (2002). Islamic feminism and its discontents: Towards a resolution of the debate. In Saliba, T., Allen, C., & Howard, J. (Eds.), Gender, politics and Islam (pp. 17-51). Chicago: Chicago University Press.
• Moghissi, H. (2002). Feminism and Islamic fundamentalism: The limits of postmodern analysis. New York: Zed Books. [Chapters 3, pp.49-63.]
• Najmabadi, A. (1998). Feminism in an Islamic republic: Years of hardship, years of growth. In Haddad, Y. Y., & Esposito, J. L. (Eds.), Islam, gender and social change (pp. 59-84). New York: Oxford University Press.

Video
You will be mailed a CD copy of the video Women's Bank of Bangladesh. If you do not receive a copy, contact the Distance Education Office at (860) 486-1080. Please make sure your mailing address is up-to-date in PeopleSoft.

Web sites will be listed in this course.

• Word processing software
• Adobe Acrobat Reader

Your Internet browser and browser settings need to be Vista compatible.
See Settings.

Module 1: Introduction to Issues Relating to Gender Equality

Module 2: Approaches to the Study of Women and Gender

Module 3: Feminism and Fundamentalism with Emphasis on Islamic Societies

Module 4: Empowering Women through Economic Strategies and Programs

 

Students will be provided an opportunity to evaluate instruction in this course using the University's standard procedures, which are administered by the Office of Institutional Research.