Module overview
How can we understand the role of gender in political systems? Why is it important to acknowledge the intersections of gender with race, class, sexuality and disability? What can/should be done about male over-representation in legislatures worldwide? Why are women still missing from many of our highest offices? What is the role of masculinity in campaign rhetoric? Can conservative politicians claim to be feminist?
This module considers these questions and more. It analyses the link between gender, power and representation in politics. The issues of gender gaps in voting patterns and political participation are explored alongside questions of female representation, women’s paths to executive office, and questions of intersectionality. Students will gain an understanding of how inequalities based on gender, race, class and sexuality influence our politics and learn the tools to undertake gendered critiques and analyses of politics.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Apply the skills and knowledge required for a gendered analysis to a variety of institutions and contexts, as well as everyday life.
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Apply theoretical gender debates and practical tools to current political debates and events.
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- How power relations based on gender, race, class and sexuality affect political systems and outcomes.
Syllabus
Topics covered will include
- Theories of representation
- Intersectional approaches to feminism and politics
- Masculinities and power
- Gender and political participation
- Gender and political institutions
- Gender-based stereotyping
- Candidate recruitment and equality strategies
- The role of gender in campaigning
- Defining women’s interests
- Gender in the media
- Future challenges to women’s representation
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
2 hours of lectures per week. All will be recorded and posted on Blackboard. Lectures will be delivered either face to face or online only depending upon University and Public Health England Guidance at the time. Total of 24 hours of lectures (2 hours per week X 12 weeks) per module.
Weekly student participation in online discussion boards. 1 hour per week delivered asynchronously. (1 hour X 12 weeks)
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Preparation for scheduled sessions | 54 |
| Lecture | 24 |
| Independent Study | 12 |
| Seminar | 6 |
| Completion of assessment task | 30 |
| Wider reading or practice | 24 |
| Total study time | 150 |
Resources & Reading list
Journal Articles
Politics and Gender.
Textbooks
Stevens, A (2007). Women Power and Politics. Palgrave Macmillan.
Dahlerun, D (2018). Has Democracy Failed Women?. Polity Press.
Assessment
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Discussion board activity | 25% |
| Research project | 50% |
| Research proposal | 25% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Analytical essay | 100% |
Repeat
An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Analytical essay | 100% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External