Gender Issues in Development

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2012:

Standard

An average of 10 weeks each week.

None.

None.

Students enrolling in this subject must have completed a Bachelor of Arts degree or equivalent.

Students who have completed 'Gender Issues in Development' at fourth year level with the code 121-461 are not permitted to enrol in this subject.

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

As an arguably fundamental cross-cutting theme in development theory and practice today, gender issues and perspectives have moved significantly from the political and economic empowerment strategies of feminist activism in the 1970s. What began as a concern with women's ongoing discrimination and disadvantage and the lack of visibility of women and their particular needs from development became a broader concern with the nature of relations between men and women. Discussions will focus on contemporary actions and approaches, feminist critiques, and the embedding of gender in practices of development agencies, international organisations, non-government organisations and state level actors. Case studies will consider the approaches to gender issues by various actors and stakeholders, particularly in relation to the former colonised world. It will critically explore key concepts applied in development practice such as 'gender sensitive' and 'gender mainstreaming', and the appropriateness of tools and techniques such as 'gender analysis' for understanding culture, expressed in the construction of gender identities and inequalities.

Students who successfully complete this subject should

• be aware of the theory and practice of gender development.
• be able to understand the principles underlying certain key development problems pertaining to gender.
• appreciate the political and social implications of both the problems and their management solutions.
• understand key concepts as gender related concepts as applied in the development practice
• understand the difficulties in applying some of the theoretical solutions to development problems.

A 750 word proposal (15%) due during semester, a 750 word presentation (15%) due during semester, and a 3500 final essay (70%) due during the examination period.

Hurdle Requirement: Students are required to attend a minimum of 75% of classes in order to qualify to have their written work assessed.Students who fail to meet this hurdle requirement will be deemed ineligible to submit the final piece of assessment for this subject.Regular participation in class is required.

Assessment that is submitted after the due date and up to 10 working days late without an approved extension will be marked on a pass/fail basis only. Assessment that is submitted later than 10 working days will not be accepted or marked. In-class tasks missed without approval will not be marked. All pieces of written work must be submitted to pass this subject.

A reading list will be provided by the subject coordinator

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.