Democracy and Gender

Catalog description

How is democratization interconnected with gender? Survey recent debates about diffusing democracy, examining current research in this important field. We assess the impact the forces of democratic trends have on gender relations; culture and cultural identity; women vs. men’s social, economic, and political opportunities; and maternal health. In particular, using broad scope of most current theoretical approaches from theoretical frameworks of diffusion, modernization, democracy and development theory, the dependency and the world system theory, and cultural relativism perspective, this course examines current research in several pertinent areas of democratic processes though the lens of gender equality. In particular, the effects of global trends in culture, democracy and capitalist economy, cultural McDonalization are analyzed in view of gender relations. This is to compare the impact of national politics as it effects the social position and roles of women in comparison to men.