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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2018/2019

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Social and Political Science : Politics

Undergraduate Course: Gender, Power and Representation (PLIT10113)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Social and Political Science CollegeCollege of Humanities and Social Science
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits20 ECTS Credits10
SummaryThis course examines the links between gender, power and representation in global perspective. Drawing on comparative analyses and detailed case-study accounts, the course introduces students to both historical trends and the contemporary state of gender and representation around the world. Students will explore, amongst other things: the gender gap in voting patterns and political participation; the gendered dynamics of representation in political parties, legislatures and executives; the relationship between gender, the media and political campaigns; and strategies for increasing the numerical representation of women and other historically-under-represented groups in politics, including gender quotas. We will also consider what is at stake in debates over equal representation and will explore the ways in which the possibilities and constraints for political action are gendered. Whilst the focus of the course is on gender and representation, we will take an intersectional approach, and remain attentive throughout the course to the ways in which gender intersects with other structures of power.
Course description This course examines the interconnections between gender, power and representation in both historical and contemporary contexts. It is global in focus, examining patterns of political participation and representation across a wide range of countries and regions, whilst also delving into in-depth case studies of the gendered dynamics of political power in political parties, legislatures and executives in particular contexts.

Throughout the course, we will examine the problems and questions raised by the issues of gender, power and political representation. When we speak about the "under-representation of women" and other groups, what visions of representation are we invoking and with what attendant problems and expectations? What does gender have to do with it? Do "supply" or "demand" factors best account for the relatively few women in political life? How can we account for variation across political parties and political systems? What role does gender play in the representation of politicians in the media? What strategies can we (and should we) use to achieve equal representation? And (why) does it matter?

Whilst we focus in particular on gender dynamics and global trends in the course, we will also pay attention to intersectionality and heterogeneity throughout, assessing the ways in which gender intersects with other structures of power, including race, ethnicity, class, sexuality and disability.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesNone
Course Delivery Information
Not being delivered
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Identify and critically evaluate patterns of gender, political participation and representation on local, national and global scales.
  2. Compare and contrast different explanations for men¿s descriptive over-representation and evaluate different strategies to increase the representation of women and other under-represented groups.
  3. Show a critical understanding of feminist theories of representation, including the relationship between descriptive, substantive and symbolic representation.
  4. Apply theoretical gender debates and practical tools to real-world issues.
  5. Developed research and analytical skills that facilitate independent learning.
Reading List

Dahlerup, D. (2006) Women, Quotas and Politics. London: Routledge.
Escobar-Lemmon, M.C. and M.M. Taylor-Robinson (eds) (2014) Representation: The Case of Women. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Lovenduski, J. (2005) Feminizing Politics. Cambridge: Polity.
Paxton, P. and M. Hughes (2017) Women, Politics and Power: A Global Perspective. London: Sage.
Waylen, G., Celis, K., Kantola, J. and S.L. Weldon (2013) The Oxford Handbook of Gender and Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills By the end of the course, students should have strengthened their skills in:
1. Communication and Research ¿ analysing evidence and using this to develop and support a line of argument in written and oral work;
2. Critical Analysis ¿ comparing, contrasting and evaluating different arguments in the work of other authors;
3. Project Management ¿ working independently and as part of groups, prioritizing objectives, and working to deadlines;
4. IT ¿ locating material online, using online databases, LEARN and other online resources.
KeywordsNot entered
Contacts
Course organiserDr Meryl Kenny
Tel: (0131 6)51 1480
Email: m.kenny@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMr John Riddell
Tel: (0131 6)50 9975
Email: John.Riddell@ed.ac.uk
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