GV522-6-SP-CO:
Gender and Armed Conflict
2021/22
Government
Colchester Campus
Spring
Undergraduate: Level 6
Current
Monday 17 January 2022
Friday 25 March 2022
15
11 May 2021
Requisites for this module
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(none)
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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:
1. To introduce students to the often-overlooked roles of women in armed conflict.
2. To introduce students to alternative theoretical lenses—such as feminist and critical gender perspectives—in contemporary security and conflict studies.
3. 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.
4. 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:
1. Identify and describe the history of women’s participation in the national militaries of the US, European states, and other countries.
2. Identify and describe the various roles that women play in historical and contemporary armed resistance movements.
3. Identify and explain the various sources of the gendered nature of recruitment and participation in armed groups.
4. Discuss the use and implications of gendered imagery during armed conflict and evaluate the effectiveness of such imagery as a propaganda tool.
5. 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 taught in a weekly 2-hour seminar. Seminars are composed of two principal components. The first is intense in-class discussion of the assigned reading material intended to review, evaluate, and critique the central theories and empirical material presented that week. The second component is focused on the development of an independent research paper. This component will entail activities such as guided research in the classroom or in the library and in-class writing workshops.
This module does not appear to have a published bibliography for this year.
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% |
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
Yes
Yes
No
Dr Edward Morgan-Jones
University of Kent
Reader in Comparative Politics
Available via Moodle
Of 528 hours, 10 (1.9%) hours available to students:
518 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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