| Unit name | Feminisms and International Relations |
|---|---|
| Unit code | POLIM3013 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Stavrevska |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is this unit important?
This unit explores both 1) the impact of diverse forms of feminist scholarship on the discipline of International Relations (IR) and 2) gendered practices of foreign policy and world politics. The contributions and insights offered by feminist scholarship are articulated in relation to concerns such as gendered structures of power and practice, differences and similarities among different genders in their experiences of world politics, the problems and tensions presented by any project of theorising ‘women’ and ‘men’ in IR, the implications of diverse constructions of femininity and masculinity, and the implications of all of these concerns for both the study of IR and the practices of foreign policy and world politics. The unit highlights the intersectionality of gender with race and other systems of oppression. The unit further explores key issues in foreign policy and world politics – notably nationalism, human rights, in/security, political economy and development, and the environment – from various feminist and gendered perspectives.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study
This unit is one of the three mandatory units on the MSc programme Gender and International Relations, with the other ones being Theories of International Relations and the Dissertation unit. As such, being offered in TB1, this unit offers students on the programme the first deep dive into the intersection of gender/feminisms and IR/world politics.
An overview of content
The unit examines various concerns raised by feminists and the implications of these issues for global politics as practices and International Relations as a discipline. These concerns range from the theoretical (such as questions of difference or similarities among different genders in their experience of world politics and the problem this presents for theorising gender in IR) to the practical (issues such as nationalism, the international economy, development, and human rights).
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
Through this unit students will be familiarised with the implications for International Relations theory of taking feminisms and gender seriously, the ways in which feminist approaches contribute to our understanding of issues in IR/world politics, the implications of identity and difference, and the universal and the particular in the theorisation and practice of feminism(s) in International Relations, and the gendered nature of the diverse practices of foreign policy and world politics.
Learning Outcomes
The diligent student, on successful completion of this unit, will have developed:
The learning and teaching strategy for this unit is based on the following:
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
A research proposal together with an annotated bibliography.
Students are expected to identify a topic, specify a prospective research question, and provide a summary that outlines what they think their paper will be about, including short sections on the empirical focus of the paper, the theoretical framework or analytical tools, the methodological approach, and the main line of argument or analysis. The preliminary annotated bibliography must contain 10-15 entries, accompanied by a short, 2-3 sentence, annotation (description) of each reading’s argument and/or how it is relevant, or not, to the proposed research. Students must get their research topic and question approved by their seminar tutors. Students are also welcome to include any part of the formative assessment in their summative assessment, as they see fit.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
A 3000-word research paper (100%) [ILO 1, 2, 3, 4].
Students are to develop their own specific research question within the broad rubric of feminisms, gender and international relations/world politics. They are to deploy and explain whatever analytical tools are best suited to answering their research question, drawing on whatever data they find more relevant.
When assessment does not go to plan
You will normally complete the reassessment in the same format as outlined above. Students are expected to develop their original assessment, based on feedback received.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. POLIM3013).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
