Course Info: CSI-0165

CourseCSI-0165 Gender & Economic Development
Long TitleGender and Economic Development
Term2018S
Note(s) Satisfies Distribution
Textbook information
Meeting InfoFranklin Patterson Hall 103 on M,W from 10:30-11:50
FacultyLynda Pickbourn-Smith
Capacity23
Available6
Waitlist0
Distribution(s) Power, Community and Social Justice
Cumulative Skill(s)Quantitative Skills
Multiple Cultural Perspectives
Additional InfoStudents are expected to spend at least six to eight hours a week of preparation and work outside of class time.
Description

This course examines the often contradictory impacts of the process of economic development on gender relations in developing countries and asks: what challenges do global economic trends pose for gender equality and equity in developing countries? To answer this question, we will begin with an introduction to alternative approaches to economics and to economic development, focusing on the differences between neoclassical and feminist economics. We will then go on to examine and critique the theoretical frameworks that have shaped the gender perspective in economic development. This will be followed by an exploration of the impacts of economic development policy on men and women and on gender relations in Africa, Asia and Latin America, in the context of a globalizing world economy. Special topics will include the household as a unit of analysis; women's unpaid labor, the gendered impacts of economic restructuring and economic crisis; the feminization of the labor force in the formal and informal sectors of the global economy. The course will conclude with an evaluation of tools and strategies for achieving gender equity within the context of a sustainable, human-centered approach to economic development.  Students will be required to write reading reflections on the assigned material for each class, and will also work on a semester-long group research project. As part of their work on these projects, each student will be required to submit an annotated bibliography.  Each student will also sign up to give a short presentation on a recent or current event that is related to the topic being discussed that day.