In this course we will explore the different ways that gender (both male and female) structures the world in which we live. We will examine how the status of women has changed overtime, paying close attention to how it compares to the status of men at the same time. We will analyze the policymaking process and develop a comprehensive understanding of how governments, social movements, and individual citizens influence public policy in the US and in countries around the world. We will consider a wide range of issues such as reproductive rights, family law, violence against women, labor policies, women’s movements, global security threats, and women in politics. For each of these issue areas we will consider women vis-à-vis men as well as how differences among women affect both our analysis and policy outcomes.

Students will learn the basics of policy analysis and, more specifically, gender-based policy analysis. This allows us to identify public problems, explore potential policy responses, and choose the most appropriate policy solution for these problems. Governments, businesses, organizations, and universities are increasingly relying on gender-based analyses to help them design and administer appropriate and productive policies for their institutions. As such, students will become well-acquainted with this analytical tool through online discussion boards and by writing policy papers.

 

Further, students will gain an understanding of women’s perspectives from around the world. We will consider how “women’s issues” vary globally, and how that variation affects public policies. Additionally, we will explore how women have exerted power through activism, revolutions, and violence.

There is one required textbook for the course:

 

Runyan, Anne Sisson and V. Spike Peterson, 2014. Global Gender Issues in the New Millennium (Dilemmas in World Politics) 4^th edition. Boulder: Westview Press. ISBN: 978-0-8133-4916-9

Two of the primary goals for the course are to facilitate critical thinking about policy issues and to help students hone their analytical writing skills. This assignment asks students to do both. They will write a succinct and persuasive “Letter to the Editor” regarding a policy issue that we have discussed in class.

 

For example:

The United Nations Convention to End All Forms of Discrimination Against Women has been heralded as a bill of rights for women which establishes standards for equality and justice between men and women. More than 180 countries around the world have signed the treaty and enacted policies to bring about gender equity within their borders. The United States, however, has not ratified this treaty despite vigorous political debates on the subject for over 30 years. Proponents of the treaty have argued that, as a global advocate for human rights campaigns, not signing the treaty delegitimizes the US on the world stage. Opponents, however, argue that the treaty would exert excessive control over domestic political debates about women’s rights and undermine the sovereignty of the nation.

 

In no more than 250 words, write a letter to the editor explaining your views on the US’ decision to abstain from signing the treaty. Whether you agree or disagree with the decision, be sure that you articulate your position clearly and reference concrete examples from the text and/or other relevant sources regarding the policymaking process.