GV522-6-SP-CO:
Gender and Armed Conflict
2020/21
Government
Colchester Campus
Spring
Undergraduate: Level 6
Current
Sunday 17 January 2021
Friday 26 March 2021
15
18 December 2020
Requisites for this module
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War narratives and studies of political violence have traditionally focused on the roles and actions of men. Women, to the extent they are considered, have typically been framed as innocent bystanders and victims. Yet, women often actively participate in civil wars and in terrorist campaigns, either as civilian supporters of these groups or as armed fighters. Women are therefore both willing to and capable of engaging in the same violent actions as their male counterparts during wartime. Intriguingly, there is also evidence that the inclusion of women in political processes--particularly in positions of authority--may help promote peace, resolve political conflicts, and increase stability after armed conflict.
In addition to acknowledging the profound impact that civil conflicts have on women (including sexual violence and displacement), this course explores the many important roles that women often play in terrorist and rebel organizations and examines women's potential contributions to post-war peace building and conflict resolution. The objective of the course is that students gain a better understanding of the roles women play in the production and resolution of political violence and the manner in which gender and gender attitudes influence war and armed conflict.
The aims of the module are:
To introduce students to the often-overlooked roles of women in armed conflict.
B. To introduce students to alternative theoretical lenses—such as feminist and critical gender perspectives—in contemporary security and conflict studies.
C. To engage with a wide range of applied empirical material relating to the role of women in armed conflict and the manner in which gendered, gendered attitudes, and gendered structures influence the onset and outcome of armed conflict.
D. To evaluate contemporary conflicts and security policies using the theoretical lenses and empirical material introduced in the module through classroom discussion and written analyses of specific conflicts.
On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
A. Identify and describe the history of women’s participation in the national militaries of the US, European states, and other countries.
B. Identify and describe the various roles that women play in historical and contemporary armed resistance movements.
C. Identify and explain the various sources of the gendered nature of recruitment and participation in armed groups.
D. Discuss the use and implications of gendered imagery during armed conflict and evaluate the effectiveness of such imagery as a propaganda tool.
E. Explain the practical, ethical, and strategic implications of excluding women from participation in conflict resolution, peacekeeping, and post-conflict governance.
Week 1: Research and Analysis on Gender and Conflict (discussion of positivist versus post-positivist approaches to the study of gender and politics)
Week 2: Women in State Armed Forces and National Militaries
Week 3: Female Combatants in Counter-insurgency Operations
Week 4: Women in Armed Resistance Movements
Week 5: Gendered Recruitment and its Implications
Week 6: Gendered Symbolism and Imagery in Wartime
Week 7: Women as Victims and Perpetrators of Atrocity
Week 8: Women, Gender and Peacekeeping
Week 9: Women in Post-conflict Politics and Society
Week 10: Conclusion, Review, and Reflections
This module will be delivered with (i) a weekly pre-recorded lecture and (ii) a weekly interactive lecture. The pre-recorded lecture will consist of one or more items of prepared content that students can access electronically and must study before the interactive lecture. The interactive lecture will consist of one 50-minute lecture in which students can ask questions about, and discuss various aspects of, the prepared content with the module supervisor.
.
- Lemmon, Gayle Tzemach. (2015) Ashley's War, London: HarperCollins.
- Goldstein, Joshua S. (2001) War and gender: how gender shapes the war system and vice versa, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Sjoberg, Laura. (2014) Gender, war, and conflict, Cambridge: Polity.
- Hunt, Swanee; Posa, Cristina. (2001) 'Women Waging Peace', in Foreign Policy. (124) , pp.38-47
- Karim, Sabrina; Beardsley, Kyle. (2016-01) 'Explaining sexual exploitation and abuse in peacekeeping missions', in Journal of Peace Research. vol. 53 (1) , pp.100-115
- Sjoberg, Laura. (2015-09) 'Seeing sex, gender, and sexuality in international security', in International Journal: Canada's Journal of Global Policy Analysis. vol. 70 (3) , pp.434-453
- Viterna, Jocelyn. (2013) Women in War, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Gullace, Nicoletta F. (1997) 'White Feathers and Wounded Men: Female Patriotism and the Memory of the Great War', in Journal of British Studies: Cambridge University Press. vol. 36 (2) , pp.178-206
- Cohen, Dara Kay. (2013) 'Female Combatants and the Perpetration of Violence: Wartime Rape in the Sierra Leone Civil War', in World Politics. vol. 65 (3) , pp.383-414
- Bloom, Mia. (©2011) Bombshell: women and terrorism, Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
- Carpenter, R. Charli. (2005) '"Women, Children and Other Vulnerable Groups": Gender, Strategic Frames and the Protection of Civilians as a Transnational Issue', in International Studies Quarterly: Wiley. vol. 49 (2) , pp.295-334
- Sjoberg, Laura. (2010) 'Women Fighters and the Beautiful Soul Narrative', in International Review of the Red Cross. vol. 92 (877) , pp.53-68
- Anderlini, Sanam Naraghi. (2007) Women building peace: what they do, why it matters, Boulder: Lynne Rienner Pub.
- Loken, Meredith. (2020-03-11) '‘Both needed and threatened’: Armed mothers in militant visuals', in Security Dialogue. vol. 52 (1) , pp.21-44
- Olsson, Louise; Gizelis, Theodora-Ismene. (2014-08-08) 'Advancing Gender and Peacekeeping Research', in International Peacekeeping. vol. 21 (4) , pp.520-528
- Toivanen, Mari; Baser, Bahar. (2016) 'Gender in the Representations of an Armed Conflict', in Middle East Journal of Culture and Communication. vol. 9 (3) , pp.294-314
- Valerie M. HudsonMary CaprioliBonnie Ballif-SpanvillRose McDermottChad F. Emmett. (2008) 'The Heart of the Matter: The Security of Women and the Security of States', in International Security. vol. 33 (3) , pp.7-45
- Wood, Elisabeth Jean; Toppelberg, Nathaniel. (2017-09) 'The persistence of sexual assault within the US military', in Journal of Peace Research. vol. 54 (5) , pp.620-633
- MacDonald, Heather. (January 16, 2019) 'Women Don’t Belong in Combat Units', in The Wall Street Journal.
- Adler, Reva N.; Loyle, Cyanne E; Globerman, Judith. (2007) 'A Calamity in the Neighborhood: Women's Participation in the Rwandan Genocide', in Genocide Studies International. vol. 2 (3) , pp.209-233
- Wynne-Jones, Ros. (June 16, 1996) 'Irish talks: men posture, women progress', in The Independent.
- Ellerby, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/21647259.2016.1192240?casa_token=nYsfDd3ryqQAAAAA:0njlM7xYCXulssYeXl0hlTD4rTOSbI3yY5ijFlDjfVa31itdZa-gD5Lu0GltWk3_YvztQWMttfg
- Kreft, Anne-Kathrin. (2017-01) 'The gender mainstreaming gap: Security Council resolution 1325 and UN peacekeeping mandates', in International Peacekeeping. vol. 24 (1) , pp.132-158
- Resolution 1325, http://unscr.com/en/resolutions/doc/1325
- Wood, Reed. (2019) Female fighters: why rebel groups recruit women for war, New York: Columbia University Press.
- Sjoberg, Laura; Kadera, Kelly; Thies, Cameron G. (2018-04) 'Reevaluating Gender and IR Scholarship', in Journal of Conflict Resolution. vol. 62 (4) , pp.848-870
The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course. The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students. Further reading can be obtained from this module's reading list.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
Test 1 |
|
20% |
| Coursework |
Test 2 |
|
20% |
| Coursework |
Annotated Bibliography |
|
25% |
| Coursework |
Research Paper |
|
35% |
Additional coursework information
Your performance will be assessed in three ways: 1) tests, 2) an annotated bibliography, and 3) a formal essay.
Tests: Two online tests will be administered during the term. Each test is weighted equivalently and will only include questions regarding information covered since the previous test. These tests, which include multiple choice and short responses questions, will be conducted via Moodle and will be accessed remotely.
Annotated Bibliography: In preparation for the research paper, students will construct an annotated bibliography. This document identifies and summarizes sources that will potentially be included in your research and is intended to help guide your research on the topic you have chosen. It entails searching for articles through online sources such as Google Scholar, Project Muse, JSTOR, etc. Specifically, you will need to provide a list of 15 relevant academic sources (e.g., scholarly articles, books, databases, etc.) that you have located through your research and a brief (50-100 words) summary of the relevant content of each. This summary should explain why the information in the document is potentially useful for your paper. You do not have to use all of these sources in your paper, and you may of course include additional sources in the final paper. Articles and books included in the course module cannot be used in the annotated bibliography. However, they may be included in your research paper. Additional information and instructions will be provided in a separate document.
Research Paper: Each student will write a formal research paper based on the course material as well as additional independent research. These papers will apply the theories, themes, and concepts covered in the class to answer an important question about an armed group or a conflict and the role that women/gender play in it. Papers should be approximately 2500 words in length (excluding bibliography and title page). Additional information and instructions will be provided in a separate document.
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Prof Reed Wood, email: reed.wood@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Reed Wood
Dr Reed Wood reed.wood@essex.ac.uk Administrator Edmund Walker, govquery@essex.ac.uk
Yes
Yes
No
Dr Arzu Kibris
University of Warwick
Associate Professor
Available via Moodle
Of 438 hours, 0 (0%) hours available to students:
438 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s).
Government
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