| Unit name | Gender and Violence: Intersectional and Global Perspectives |
|---|---|
| Unit code | SPOLM0075 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Aisha K Gill |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School for Policy Studies |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is this unit important?
Recognised as a global concern by the UN, and increasingly acknowledged as both a crime and welfare issue in diverse settings, gender-based violence provides an important window on the development of policy and action in a global context. The unit explores the impact of international organisations (governmental and non-governmental) on gender-based violence policy development, and demonstrates the importance of country context in constructing and implementing global policy frameworks. Definitions and measurement of gender-based violence differ between cultures and contexts, and violence may increase in situations such as war or migration. To explore these issues, the unit focuses on a number of examples, including domestic violence/abuse, sexual violence, crimes predicated in the name of ‘honour’, forced marriage, and forms of structural violence. The unit explores a range of theories on gender based violence, examines issues and problems related to methodology, and assesses gender violence as a intersectional/human rights issue. These aspects provide the basis for discussion of policy development in a variety of contexts, principally the Indian sub-continent, Iran, the Global South, Europe and the UK.
How does this unit fit into the programme of study?
This unit is one of several optional units you can choose to take in the second term of study. This unit provides an opportunity for you to understand how to critically evaluate policies used to deal with a range of gender violence in different settings and country contexts.
An overview of content
Violence against women and girls will be studied in both the local and international contexts. The focus will be on the history and struggle to define violence against women as a human rights concept, along with the impact of migration, globalisation and militarisation on women’s experiences of violence world-wide and how this affects the potential solutions to this problem. The differences and commonalities related to analysing and theorising about women’s experiences of violence in diverse public and private settings will be examined along with the intersections between social power relations, such as gender, race, ethnicity and class. The unit will also draw on the literature on women’s activism and resistance and explore how this relates to national and international human rights solutions. The unit will be multi-disciplinary in nature but will particularly draw on the literature from the gender violence and human rights perspectives, as well as the feminist research, theories, activism and critiques from a diverse range of social science, historical and legal sources and perspectives on violence against women.
The unit is designed to:
How students will be different as a result of the unit:
This unit aims to provide a comprehensive introduction to the context, contours and consequences of crimes involving gender-based violence. You will learn about various typologies and critically assess the criminal justice responses. From hate-motivated crimes and gender-based violence to rape, sexual violence and ‘honour’ killings, this module explores the myriad of ways in which violence is enacted against individuals and communities and examines in detail how particular groups encounter systemic violence.
You will be expected to acquire knowledge of the current main issues and debates in relation to sex/gender and gender violence and will examine some of the theoretical models that have been developed to understand violence against women. As part of this, you will be encouraged to engage with the criminological, psychological and sociological/feminist theories as these relate to issues of gendered violence contexts at both the national and international levels. We will debate the implications of criminalising specific forms of violence and explore the extent to which these crimes are similar to or differ from other forms of gendered violence. You will also be invited to compare and contrast the policy approaches adopted by different countries to address these issues.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
Teaching will be delivered through face-to-face weekly lectures and seminars. Student learning is supported via the online learning platform, Blackboard, where lecture materials and tasks are listed weekly. Each week students will be asked to undertake a specific task or reading to discuss in the seminar session. There is also an emphasis on self-directed study and reading.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
You will be supported in the summative element consisting of in class debates and group discussions of the experiences of different groups in relation to various forms of abuse and barriers to help-seeking and reporting.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
You will choose an assessment from a) Essay (3000 word max, 100%) or b) Reflective video and presentation (15 minutes max, 100%).
Both assessments cover all of the learning outcomes.
When assessment does not go to plan
Subject to the university regulations for taught programmes, you may be offered an opportunity for reassessment. If you are eligible to resubmit and where appropriate, you may submit a revised version of your previous assignment or complete an alternative assessment in the same format as the original assessment.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. SPOLM0075).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
