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UNIVERSITY OF GUYANA

TURKEYEN CAMPUS

INSTITUTE OF GENDER STUDIES

SEMESTER 1 ACADEMIC YEAR 2024/2025 SUMMER

Course Code WST 4100

Course Title Gender and Development

Credits Four (4)

Schedule (online) Monday’s & Tuesday’s from 5:30 pm

to 8:30 pm

Instructor Paula Nassy

Contact Details paulanassy9@[Link]

COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course uses gender as a central category of analysis through which it critically examines
issues of social inclusion, access to resources, and participation in planning programs, projects,
and policies in relation to economic growth and development.

COURSE OBJECTIVES
● Expose students to theoretical approaches to gender and development.
● Introduce classical development theory and feminist critiques.
● Explore the main gender issues in contemporary Caribbean development with special
emphasis on gender in the urban and rural economy, labour force patterns, and gender-
aware policies and programs.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
● Understand key concepts and arguments in the field of gender and development.
● Identify intersections of gender and explore their relationships and influences,
historically, politically, and socially.
● Evaluate social structures that delineate systems of power, place, and gender inequality.

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● Practice reflexivity.

EXPECTATIONS
Participants of this course will be expected to satisfy the following requirements:
● Attend weekly classes and respectfully participate in all course activities.
● Provide a valid medical certificate for missing a test or exam if ill.
● Be active listeners, and use critical inquiry skills and a gender lens to question and
analyse ideas.

POLICY ON LATE SUBMISSION OF ASSIGNMENTS

Late submission of assignments will be subjected to a 5-mark deduction per day for every day
after, including the scheduled date of submission.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY/PLAGIARISM
Students are expected to cite sources of information. Plagiarism is an academic crime punishable
by expulsion from the University of Guyana. Plagiarism occurs when a student:
● Directly copies the work of another person.
● Closely paraphrases the equivalent of a paragraph or more without acknowledgment.
● Borrows, without acknowledgment, ideas in a clear and recognizable form in such a way
as to present them as his/her own thoughts and contribute to the merit of his/her own
work. See Moodle for a copy of the UoG’s plagiarism policy.

TEACHING METHODOLOGY
This course will involve 13 interactive and learner-centered weeks, reflection papers, online
participation, group assessment(s), and a final exam addressing various topics relating to Gender
and Development. Weeks will include lectures, shared student online questions and reflections,
film, and discussions.

GUIDELINES FOR WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS:

● All assignments will be uploaded and submitted via Moodle.
● Uploaded assignments must be saved as a document. Files and include your full name
and assignment in the file name (i.e., SamPat_ReflectionPaper1)
● All assignments must follow APA (7th edition).
[Link]

● All assignments should be formatted as follows: Font must be Times New Roman, 12
point, double-spaced, one-inch margins, appropriate pagination, and page number.
● The cover page must include your name, USI, course name, instructor name, and
assignment name.
● All assignments must be proofread for grammatical correctness.

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● Always save your work in multiple places: for example, flash drives, hard drives, google
drive, etc.
ONLINE ETIQUETTE

● Use your correct name on Zoom so that your instructor and classmates can identify you.
● Be respectful to others’ comments, perspectives, or opinions, whether in agreement or
not.

COURSE ASSESSMENTS

Item of Assessment Method of Assessment Weight %

Learning community Include: Introduction, meeting with the instructor and in- 5%
engagement class participation. See Moodle for the due date.
(reflective forum)

Groups reflective Select a theme between weeks 1-3. Write a reflection on 10%
forum your understanding of the importance of gender and
development in contemporary society.

Presentation should be recorded, and the link posted via

Group assessment Moodle. The length of the presentation should be 10-12 25%
mins. Points may be deducted for overtime. Presentation
(Oral presentation
should capture key points of the written paper. One person
and Write-up)
should upload the link. See Moodle for the due date.

See below for more details on the assignment. Feedback

from the presentation should be incorporated in the final
paper. One person should upload the assessment. See
Moodle for the due date.

Final Examination The examination division, the Registry, will determine

(in-person) the date and place of the exam.
60%

Total Weight 100

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Grading Scheme: A = 75 – 100% B = 74% - less than 65%; C = 55% - less than 65%; D =
45% - less than 55%; F – Less than 45%

.COURSE CONTENT AND SCHEDULE

SESSIONS TOPICS

Week 1 Why Gender? Why Development?

Week 2 Gender and Feminist Theories

Key Global Issues in Development and Development Theory: WID to GAD

Week 3 Gender and Global Economy (Globalisation)

Week 4 Household, families, and work

Week 5 Men and Development

Week 6 Gender, Conflict, Emergency Situations, and Responses – Focus on

Migration.

Week 7 Gender, poverty, and health

Week 8 Human Trafficking

Week 9 Sexuality, human rights, and development

Week 10 Gender, Conflict, Emergency situations and responses cont’d – Focus on the
environment.

Week 11 Gender and (media) representation

Week 12 Gender policies and problems with gender mainstreaming

Week 13 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence

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Readings

WEEK 1: Why gender? Why development?

Required readings/viewings:

Parpart, J. L., Connelly, P. M., & Barriteau, E. V. (Eds). (2000). Chapter 2. Theoretical
perspectives on gender and development. International Development Research Centre

Parpart, J (2002). Lessons from the field: rethinking empowerment, gender and development
from a post (post?) development perspective. (Ed) K. Saunders. Feminist Post
Development Thought. London and New York. Zed Books.

Three Minute Theory. (2015, January 18). Three Minute Theory: What is neoliberalism?
[Video]. Youtube. [Link]

WEEK 2: Gender and Feminist Theories. Key Global Issues in Development and
Development theory: WID to GAD

Required readings/viewings

Parpart, J. L., Connelly, P. M., & Barriteau, E. V. (Eds). (2000). Chapter 3. Theoretical
perspectives on gender and development. International Development Research Centre

IGDS UWI St. Augustine. (2017, June 4). Cristina Coc – indigenous geographies and
Caribbean feminisms. [Video] Youtube. [Link]
mc&t=1s

TED. (2016, December 7). The urgency of intersectionality – Kimberle Crenshaw. [Video]
Youtube. [Link]

WEEK 3: Gender and the global economy

Required readings/viewings

NFB. (2016, September 16). Who’s counting? Marilyn Waring on sex, lies and global
economics. [Video] Youtube. [Link]

Smyth, I. (2007) Talking gender: words and meanings in the development organisations.
Development in practice 17, 4-5: 582-88

Staudt. K (2002). Dismantling the master’s house with the master’s tools? (Ed) K. Saunders.
Gender work in and with powerful bureaucracies. In Feminist post development thought.
London and New York: Zed Books. 57-68

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Trigo, I., & Baron, C. (2022). Decentring GDP: Well-being, care and time. ECLAC.
[Link]

WEEK 4: Household, families and work

Required readings

Folbre, N. (1999). The invisible heart: care and the global economy. Human Development
Report

Freeman, C. (n.d) Island-hopping body shopping in Barbados: Localising the gendering of

transnational workers.

Prescod, M. (2021). Introduction: From wages for housework to a care income (1977-2020). In
James, S., Our time is now: Sex, race, class and caring for people and planet. PM Press

Young, Kate. 1998. Notes on the Social Relations of Gender. In Gender in Caribbean
Development. Eds. Patricia Mohammed and Catherine Sheppard. The University of the
West Indies: Canoe Press.

Suggested readings

Ahmed, F.E. (2004). The rise of the Bangladesh garment industry: Globalisation, women
workers, and voice. NWSA Journal, Vol. 16. No. 2.

WEEK 5: Men and development

Required readings

Cornwall, A., Edstrom, J & Greig, A. (Eds). (2011). Men and development: Politicising
masculinities. Zed Books Ltd

WEEK 6: Gender, conflict, emergency situations and responses: Focus on migration

Required readings

Collins, T., & Daly, R. (2021). Reconstructing racialized femininity: stories from Venezuelan
migrant women. Journal on Migration and Development. 294-312.

Christou, A., & Kofman, E. (2022). Gender and migration: IMISCOE Short Reader. Springer

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WEEK 7: Gender, poverty and health

Required readings/viewings

Cookson, T. (2019, October 7). Not a magic bullet: Families need more than cash transfers to
thrive. In the diaspora - Stabroek News.
[Link]
families-need-more-than-cash-transfers-to-thrive/

Chant, S. (2008). The feminization of poverty and the feminization of anti-poverty programmes:
Room for revision? The Journal of Development Studies.
[Link]

James, S. (2021). A care income now. In James, S., Our time is now: Sex, race, class and caring
for people and planet (pp. 82-93). PM Press

Saskia, S (2004). Counter-geographies of globalisation: feminization of survival. Feminist post-

development thought. Zed Books. London 89-104

TEDx. (2013, January 13). Sex, gender and health – one size doesn’t fit all: Dr. Justina Trott.
[Video] Youtube. [Link]

Suggested readings

Tifts Film and Media Studies. (2015, February 19). Invisible: The state of LGBT health. [Video]
Vimeo. [Link]

WEEK 8: Human trafficking

Required readings

Kempadoo, K. (2020, November 20). What is trafficking in a region built on exploitation?

Thoughts from the Caribbean. Open Democracy.
[Link]
region-built-exploitation-thoughts-caribbean/?
fbclid=IwAR1hjRkZOpoKl1CGKYINfoJbmU83Tqm73jQIQOKrj1SshvYv3JKEOsrzyrQ

Kempadoo, K., & Durisin, E. (2020). Sex work and sex trafficking. In Naples, N. (Ed)
Companion to sexuality studies. Wiley Blackwell.

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Kempadoo, K. (2012). Introduction: Twenty-first century perspectives on human trafficking. In

Kempadoo, K., Sanghera, J., & Pattanaik, B. (Eds) 2nd edition. Trafficking and prostitution
reconsidered

WEEK 9: Sexuality, human rights and development

Required readings

Cornwall, A., Correa, S. & Jolly, S. (Eds). (2008). Development with a body: making the
connections between sexuality, human rights and development. Zed Books

Boseley, S & Goldenbery, S. (2005, May 4). Brazil spurns US terms for Aids help. The
Guardian. [Link]

WEEK 10: Gender, conflict, emergency situations and responses: Focus on environment

Required readings/viewings

Wapichan nao Kuwaa. (2021, March 5). Cry of the Sacred Marutu Tao and its Defenders
[Video]. Youtube. [Link]

Cine Filos. (2015). Hija de la laguna. [Video] Youtube. [Link]

v=ICyD9xBQY6o&t=267s

WEEK 11: Gender and (media) representation

Required readings/viewings

Carter, C. (2011). From sex roles to social construction and beyond. In Ross, K. (Ed). The
handbook of gender, sex and media. [Link]

Lila2727. (2018, July 28). Representation and media Stuart Hall 1997 (Definition of
representation). [Video]. Youtube. [Link]

WEEK 12: Gender policies and gender mainstreaming

Required readings

Bacchi, C & Eveline, J. (Eds). (2010). Mainstreaming politics: Gendering practices and feminist
theory. University of Adelaide Press.

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Standing, H. (2007). Gender, myth and fable: the perils of mainstreaming in sector
bureaucracies. (Eds). A. Cornwall, E. Harrison and A. Whitehead. In feminisms in
development: contradictions, contestations and challenges, London and New York. Zed
Books

Trotz, A. (Ed). (2020). The point is to change the world: Selected writings of Andaiye. Pluto
Press

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TIPS ON REFLECTIVE FORUM

● Key understanding (s): describe one or two of your key understanding(s) from the
readings, viewings or in-class presentation/discussions.
● Muddiest point (s): describe, in one to three sentences, any muddy point OR
● Burning question (s): state any burning question(s) you may have about course reading,
viewings or in-class discussion.
● Connection (s): make one or two connections from the readings or viewing to own
experience, observation and or any other readings.
● Respond to two others.

GROUP ASSIGNMENT GUIDELINES

● Identify a development issue affecting Guyana and or Caribbean (e.g. climate change,
extractive industry, poverty, trafficking, tourism, health, COVID-19, GBV, COVID-19
vaccines and distribution, etc).
● Find three (3) media articles (these can be from various perspectives such as government,
civil society, activists)
● Write a summary of the three (3) media articles. (Articles can be from newspapers, blogs,
social media, etc.) [suggested range: 300-500 words]
● Provide an analysis of the articles using a gender lens. Provide context in framing the
issue and external sources to support your analysis. [suggested range 700-1200 words]
○ Be wary of power relations, inequality, human rights, etc.,
● As a group, select a position, i.e. NGO, government, civil society, etc.,
● Develop a strategy and or action plan, using feminist standpoint, on which to address the
issue. [suggested range: 500-800]
○ Students can be creative in using graphs with description in outlining
strategy/action plan
○ Be guided by principles of community building, collaborations, sensitization etc.
● Papers should be between 8-12 pages in length (not counting the cover page, reference
page)

● Use guidelines set above on written assessments.

● Create a table and include the role of each person in the write-up.

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Who is target? Politicians. Community members

Time Description Activity Time Remarks

9- Keynote speaker Min of Human Services 10 mins Focus on

9:10a women’s
leadership

9:11- Activity 1 Icebreaker: place group 20mins

9:15a What are some ways we
can enact
power/changes in
society?

Recap

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