PSCI 24730 - Sex and War

Course Credit: 1
(GLIS, WGSS)
This comparative politics seminar examines the gendered dimensions and sexual politics of militarism, armed conflict, and political violence. The course starts from the basic premise that men and women’s experiences, understandings, and perceptions of war and “peace” may be different, and that examining these differences and their effects can help researchers and policymakers better understand the causes of war, and design more effective strategies for building peace. In it, we will examine questions like: . How are men and women affected differently by war? . What roles are played mostly by women and what roles are played mostly by men in times of war and “peace”? . How are gender and sexual identities (re)produced and/or (de)stabilized during war? . How do humanitarian interventions and peace processes challenge or reinforce gender and sexual relations? . How are militarized masculinities organized armed groups? . What are the costs of not seeing the impacts of wars on women and the presence of women combatants in wars? This course is primarily a political science course, but also integrates scholarly works from feminist international relations, women’s studies, public health, and area studies. The primary goal of the course is to encourage students to disrupt their own and other’s assumptions and the causes, dynamics, and effects of war. [C, HSS]