Globalization, Gender and Development

DEVS 260 Globalization, Gender, and Development is designed for those interested in undertaking a critical analysis of the gendered impact of the globalization process and development policies with a focus on women in the Global South.

Does globalization differentially impact women? Can women be really “integrated” into development? What does it mean to be a poor woman in the Global South? What do terms like ‘gender’, ‘empowerment’, ‘community building’, used freely by development agencies, imply in relation to women and men? What do we understand by feminization of poverty or feminization of agriculture? Can local feminism or transnational solidarity feminist linkages challenge globalization and reshape women’s lives?

The course answers these questions and more! It undertakes a critical analysis of the impact of globalization and development process and policies on the status of women in the Global South on the one hand, and the role of masculinity, sexuality, and patriarchy in shaping relations between men and women on the other hand. It constantly examines the intersections of these two processes on how poor rural and urban women’s and, by extension, men’s lives are shaped and changed. To facilitate an inter-disciplinary analysis, the course is divided in three sections.

The first section provides a theoretical foundation to the course by introducing key concepts and debates around gender and development.

It undertakes a feminist critique of globalization and development and the role of main actors in gender and development planning and policy implementation.

The second section undertakes a thematic study of the gendered impact of globalization and development processes on issues such as intimate gender relations, labour practices, agriculture, and migration strategies.

In the third part, the politics of engagement, at the local, national, and international levels by women through their resistance strategies, activism, political participation, and/or community mobilization.

Note: Check with the institution regarding start/end dates, prices, and delivery method. These may vary according to program, section, and/or semester.