ZİRVE UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
SPRING 2012-2013
GENDER AND POLITICS
Selin Akyüz, PhD
selinakyuz@gmail.com
selin.akyuz@zirve.edu.tr
Course Description: This course provides an overview of the ways in which
gender based inequalities and political constructions of gender influence
politics both at national and international levels. The focus is on both political
constructions of gender, and political mobilization based on gender. We will
start with conceptual and theoretical debates around feminism, and proceed
with the ways in which gender is crucial to the discourses surrounding global
politics, as well as national identity formation. We will then explore the feminist
contributions to the field of International Relations. The discussions around
women’s participation to politics will be discussed, highlighting the interaction
of processes such as democratization and development with gender
(in)equalities.
Course Objectives/Learning Outcomes: The main objective of this course is to
introduce the students to the concept of gender as a frame of analyzing
international relations, as well as national and global politics. The course will
also explore problems and debates related to women’s participation in politics
and the importance of gender equality for democratization. At the end of the
semester, the students will develop an understanding of the ways in which
politics is gendered, and why women matter to world politics.
Readings: There is no textbook for this course. There is a list of readings that
the students have to follow. The readings will be available on WIKI ZIRVE
under the title of POLS 408.
Course Requirements: Students are required to attend the courses, complete
the required readings before coming to class, and participate in class
discussions. Students will also write 3 response papers (3-5 pages) and one
final paper. Students are free to choose which week’s readings they will
analyze.
Grading:
Class participation %10
Response papers %60
Final paper
%30
1
Week of 11 February: Introduction to course
Introducing the goals and structure of the course
No readings
Week of 18 February: Key concepts, key debates
The concept of gender
Why gender matters?
Required readings
de Beauvoir, Simone. (1949) “Introduction” in The Second Sex. New
York: Vintage Books.
Shepherd, Laura. (2010) “Sex or Gender? Bodies in World Politics and
Why Gender Matters” in Gender Matters in Global Politics. Oxon:
Routledge.
Week of 25 February: Theoretical roots of feminism
Liberal feminism, radical feminism
Patriarchy
“Personal is political”
Required readings
Bryson, Valerie. (2003) “Liberalism and Beyond: Feminism and Equal
Rights from 1960s” in Feminist Political Theory: An Introduction. New
York: Palgrave MacMillan.
Bryson, Valerie. (2003) “Radical Feminism and the Theory of
Patriarchy” in Feminist Political Theory: An Introduction. New York:
Palgrave MacMillan.
Week of 4 March: Men and Masculinities
Gender as a relational construct: masculinities
Required readings
Connell, R.W. (1993) “The Big Picture: Masculinities in Recent World
History” Theory and Society. 22(5): 597-623.
Akyüz, Selin, (forthcoming), “Male Images of the Republican Period”, in
Contemporary Turkish Reader. New York: Routledge.
Week of 11 March: Gendering Political Science – Gendering World Politics
The contribution of gender perspective to political
science
World politics: Where are women?
2
Required readings
Beckman, Peter. and Francine D’Amico. (1994) “Introduction” in
Women, Gender and World Politics: Perspectives, Policies, Prospects.
USA: Greenwood Publishing.
Hawkesworth, Mary. (2005). “Engendering Political Science: An
Immodest Proposal.” Politics and Gender. 1(1): 141-156.
Week of 18 March: Modernization as a Gendered Process
Women, state and modernization
The role of women in modernization processes
Required readings
Arat, Yeşim. (1997). “The Project of Modernity and Women in Turkey”
in S. Bozdoğan and R. Kasaba (eds.) Rethinking Modernity and
National Identity in Turkey. Washington: Washington University Press.
Mostov, Julie. (2000). “Sexing the Nation/Desexing the Body: Politics of
National Identity in the Former Yugoslavia” in T. Mayar (ed.). Gender
Ironies of the Nation. New York: Routledge.
Altan-Olcay, Özlem. (2009). “Gendered Projects of National Identity
Formation: The Case of Turkey”. National Identities. 11 (2): 165-186.
Week of 25 March: Gender, Nationalism and National Identity
Gendered constructions of gendered identities
Nationalism and masculinities
Required readings
Nagel, Joane. (1998). “Masculinity and Nationalism: Gender and
Sexuality in the Making of Nations”. Ethnic and Racial Studies. 21(2):
242-269.
Anand, Dibyesh. (2010). “Nationalism” in L. J. Shepherd (ed.). Gender
Matters in Global Politics: A Feminist Introduction to International
Relations. New York: Routledge.
Week of 1ST April: Militarism and War
Taking gender and war as mutually productive
“The myth of military nation”
Required readings
3
Cockburn, Cynthia. (2010). “Militarism and War” in L. J. Shepherd
(ed.). Gender Matters in Global Politics: A Feminist Introduction to
International Relations. New York: Routledge.
Altınay, Ayşegül. (2004). The Myth of the Military-Nation: Militarism,
Gender and Education in Turkey. Palgrave Macmillan: New York.
Week of 8 April: Gender and Global Politics
The role of gender in global politics
Gender and the East/West divide
Required readings
Enloe, Cythia. (1989). Bananas, Beaches and Bases: Making Feminist
Sense of International Politics. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Sedghi, Hamideh. (1994). “Third World Feminist Perspectives on World
Politics” in P. Beckman and F. D’Amico. (ed.). Women, Gender and
World Politics: Perspectives, Policies, Prospects. USA: Greenwood
Publishing.
Week of 15 April: Gender, Feminism and International Relations
Feminism and its contribution to IR
Required readings
Tickner, Ann. (1994). “A Feminist Critique of Political Realism” in P.
Beckman and F. D’Amico. (ed.). Women, Gender and World Politics:
Perspectives, Policies, Prospects. USA: Greenwood Publishing.
Whitworth, Sandra. (1994). “Feminist Theories: From Women to
Gender to World Politics” in P. Beckman and F. D’Amico. (ed.).
Women, Gender and World Politics: Perspectives, Policies, Prospects.
USA: Greenwood Publishing.
Week of 22 April: Women and Democracy
The role of gender equity in the democratization of
society
What difference does democracy make for
women?
Required readings
Inglehart R., P. Norris and C. Welzel. (2002). “Gender Equality and
Democracy”. Comparative Sociology. 1(3-4): 321-345.
Cindoglu Dilek, S. Akyüz, E. Bekaroğlu and A. Boynukara. (2007).
“Does Eros Contour the Demos: Rising Democracy Discourse in 2000s
Turkey”. Women’s Studies International Forum. 30: 465-473.
4
Week of 29 April: Women’s Representation and Participation of Politics
Political parties, women and quota
Electoral gender quota: For or against?
Required readings
Kittilson, Miki C. (2005). “In Support of Gender Quota”. Politics and
Gender. 1(4): 638-645.
Ayata, Ayşe and Fatma Tütüncü. (2008). “Critical Acts Without a
Critical Mass: The Substantive Representation of Women in the
Turkish Parliament”. Parliamentary Affairs. 61(3): 461-475.
Week of 6 May: Gender, Migration and human security
A (his)story of migration
Making local/national/transnational connections
Gendered constructions of human security
Required readings
Pettman, Jindy. (2010). “Migration” in L. J. Shepherd (ed.). Gender
Matters in Global Politics: A Feminist Introduction to International
Relations. New York: Routledge.
Hudson, Heidi. (2005). “Doing Security as Though Humans Matter: A
Feminist Perspective on Gender and the Politics of Human Security”.
Security Dialogue. 36(2): 155-172.
Week of 13 May: Free discussion!
Why does gender matters?
HAVE A NICE SEMESTER 
5