Veidlapa Nr. M-3 (8)
Study Course Description
Gender and Sexuality in the Post-Post-Soviet Space
Course Code
SZF_065
Branch of Science
Political science
ECTS
3.00
Target Audience
Political Science
LQF
Level 7
Study Type And Form
Full-Time
Study Course Implementer
Course Supervisor
Elizabete Elīna Vizgunova-Vikmane
Structure Unit Manager
Karina Palkova
Structural Unit
Faculty of Social Sciences
Contacts
Dzirciema street 16, Rīga, szf@rsu.lv
About Study Course
Objective
To provide knowledge of the gender prism for the analysis of political and socio-economic dynamics in the post-Soviet space (Baltic States, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Belarus, South Caucasus, Central Asia and contemporary Russia); to provide students with critical analysis skills by introducing them to gender and sexuality studies.
Preliminary Knowledge
General knowledge of the cultural, socio-economic and political features of the societies of the Baltic States, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia, Belarus, the South Caucasus, Central Asia and contemporary Russia.
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge
1.Students will have an in-depth understanding of the concepts of gender and sexuality. By specialising in this topic in relation to the post-post-Soviet space, students will demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of these issues in the post-post-Soviet space, as well as be able to describe the impact of concepts of gender and sexuality on the development of the post-post-Soviet space. While detailed, this knowledge will bring with it a broad contextual grasp of the historical, current and prospective framework of the political, academic and business environment.
Skills
1.Students will analyse a large body of data on the historical development of concepts of gender and sexuality and their emergence in the post-post-Soviet space, including the factors that characterise them. It will strengthen students’ general ability to critically select sources of information, as well as to comprehensively present their conclusions and reasoned answers to questions not only on the study course topics, but also on other directly and indirectly related topics. Students will explain in a reasoned and a more in-depth way the possible perspectives and challenges of the development of concepts of gender and sexuality in the post-post-Soviet space and critically analyse problematic situations.
Competences
1.At the end of the study course, students will evaluate and explain in a reasoned way the influence of different factors on the formation of gender and sexuality in the post-post-Soviet space. Students will provide recommendations and generate new predictions on the prospective impact and role of gender and sexuality in the development of post-post-Soviet space. In other words, drawing on past experiences of the Soviet Union’s role in gender and sex issues and historical and present development perspectives, students will predict future trajectories and apply the established regularities in creating future scenarios.
Assessment
Individual work
Title
% from total grade
Grade
1.
Individual work
-
-
Within the module, students will prepare for seminars, read recommended readings, write an essay and prepare a presentation and a policy document.
The objective of the seminars is to develop students’ ability to justify their point of view; to stimulate activity; to test their knowledge of the topic and the material.
The objective of the policy document and essay – to develop the ability to identify the main problem of the topic; to identify and evaluate alternative arguments and points of view; to present one’s own point of view, explaining and arguing why this point of view is more acceptable and superior to any other. The report must compare all possible alternatives, considering all their weaknesses and strengths. Another objective is to develop the skills to independently research situations and problems, evaluate them and develop solutions.
Examination
Title
% from total grade
Grade
1.
Examination
-
-
The student must present and submit an essay, according to what was discussed during the lecture and the description of the seminar.
Depending on the number of students, you will work together on the essays/presentations/debate/policy document.
Groups will be randomly selected. Work is planned for sem. No. 3, 4, 7 and 8.
All essays to be presented at the seminars must follow a traditional structure: introduction, argument, counter-argument and conclusion. Creativity, personal experiences and personal opinions will be particularly valued.
Technical requirements for essays: 2 pages, single space, Times New Roman 12. References must be presented in the footer, according to the Chicago style of referencing.
All policy documents should follow the following structure:
I – Introduction, definition of the problem, key concepts, definitions, international legal frameworks, context of the country to be analysed;
II – Problem analysis;
III – Outline of possible solutions based on recommendations of international organisations/non-governmental organisations etc;
IV – Your recommendations.
Technical requirements for policy documents: 3 pages, single space, Times New Roman 12. References must be presented in the footer, according to the Chicago style of referencing.
All presentations must contain at least five slides: an introduction; the country context/problem you will address, taking into account political, social, economic dimensions; key conclusions.
Presentations should explain what will be covered in the essay. Drafts should be made and submitted to the lecturer before the seminar in order to complete and submit the final work within the deadlines.
Various illustrative methods (diagrams and other data visualisation techniques) will be particularly highly valued in presentations. The student should be able to explain why the chosen statistics are fair and suitable foranalysis.
When conducting interviews as part of the course, the person interviewed must sign a consent from.
2.
Examination
-
-
Attendance – 10%
Activity and preparedness during classes – 30%
Presentations, essays, debate and policy document – 30%
Group work – 10%
Final examination (open-book essay) – 20%
Study Course Theme Plan
FULL-TIME
Part 1
-
Intersectional Feminism Analysis: The Case of Central Asia. The Factors of Islam, Social Class, Sexuality, Age, Disability and Belonging
Annotation: Intersectional feminist theory explains that our lives are shaped by various overlapping and interacting factors. For the first time, intersectional feminist theory was used to explain the oppressive structures affecting the lives of African-American women in the US. Since then, this perspective has also influenced the work of international organisations, including the UN and the EU. The primary critique of Eurocentrism in academic thought is characterised specifically by the lack of diversity in the reflection and analysis of human experience. In this lecture, we will analyse the case of Central Asia, where the different intersections that we have already partly discussed in the previous course – religion, class, sexuality, age, disability and belonging – overlap and interact. We will explore intersectional feminism analysis by looking at the political, economic and social structures of Central Asian societies.
Literature: Yvette Taylor, ‘Complexities and Complications: Intersections of Class and Sexuality’, in: Theorising Intersectionality and Sexuality, ed. by Yvette Taylor et al. (Palgrave Macmillan, 2010), pp. 17-34.
Anna Carastathis, ‘The concept of Intersectionality in Feminist Theory’, in: Philosophy Compass, Vol. 8, Issue 5, 2014.
UN Women, The value of intersectionality in understanding violence against women and girls, 2016.
Unicef, Rapid review on inclusion and gender equality in Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Centra Asia, 2016.
EventType
Modality
Location
Contact hours
1.
Lecture
On site
Auditorium
2
-
Lecture devoted to current issues [For example, the 2020 Revolution in Belarus and the subjectification of women from a critical feminist perspective; the impact of COVID-19 on equality; Challenges related to the ratification and implementation of the Istanbul Convention]
Annotation: This lecture is devoted to significant events that can be analysed from the perspective of gender and sexuality. In 2020, these could include the revolution in Belarus (e.g. the subjectification of women from a critical feminist perspective), the impact of COVID-19 on gender equality, or the challenges related to the ratification and implementation of the Istanbul Convention.
There are currently no required readings for this lecture, allowing students to prepare for the open-book essay that will follow in the seminar.
EventType
Modality
Location
Contact hours
1.
Lecture
On site
Auditorium
2
Total ECTS (Creditpoints):
3.00
Contact hours:
22 Academic Hours
Final Examination:
Exam (Written)
Bibliography
Required Reading
1.
ILGA-Europe’s Annual review of the Human Rights Situation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex People covering events that occurred in Europe and Central Asia between January-December 2019.
2.
EIGE 2019 Gender Equality Index. Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia.
3.
‘The social construction of sexuality. Interview with Jeffrey Weeks’ in: Introducing the New Sexuality Studies, Second Edition, ed. By Steven Seidman, Nancy Fischer and Chet Meets (Routledge, 2011), pp. 13-20.
4.
Judith Butler, ‘Subjects of Sex/Gender/Desire’, in: Judith Bulter, Gender Trouble. Feminism and the Subversion of Identity (Routledge, 2007), pp. 3-45.
5.
J. Jack Halberstam, ‘Gaga Genders’, in: J. Jack Halberstam, Gaga Feminism, Sex, Gender and the End of Normal, (Beacon Press, 2013), 66-113.
6.
Thekla Morgenroth, M. Gustafsson Senden et al. ‘Defending the Sex/Gender Binary: The role of Gender Identification and Need for Closure’, in: Social Psychological and Personality Science, 2020.
7.
Margaret Walters, Chapters 6 ‘Fighting for the vote: suffragists’, 7 ‘Fighting for the vote: suffragettes’, 8 ‘Early 20th century feminism’, 9 ‘Second-wave feminism: the late 20th century’, and 10 ‘Feminists across the world’ in: Margaret Walters, Feminism: A Very short Introduction, (Oxford, 2005), pp. 68-137.
8.
Georgina Waylen, Chapter II, ‘Women’s Organising’ in: Engendering Transitions: Women’s Mobilization, Institutions and Gender Outcomes (Oxford, 2007), pp. 56-101.
9.
Michel Foucault, Part one ‘We ‘Other Victorians’’, Part two ‘The Repressive Hypothesis’, in: Michel Foucault, The History of Sexuality, Volume 1: An Introduction, (Pantheon Books, 1979), pp. 1-57.
10.
‘Unpaid Work and Economy’, in: Unpaid Work and the Economy. Gender, Time Use and Poverty in Developing Countries, ed. By Rania Antonopoulos and Indira Hirway, (Palgrave Macmillan, 2010), pp. 1-22.
11.
Nadieszda Kizenko, ‘Feminized Patriarchy? Orthodoxy and Gender in Post-Soviet Russia’, in: Signs, Vol. 38, No. 3, pp. 595-621.
12.
Heleen Zorgdrager, ‘Shaping Public Orthodoxy: Women’s Peace Activism and the Orthodox Churches in the Ukrainian Crisis’, in: Orthodox Christianity and Gender Dynamics of Tradition, Culture and Lived Practice, ed. by Helena Kupari, Elina Vuola (2000), pp. 103-156.
13.
‘Introduction’, in: Islam, Gender and Social Change, ed.by Yvonne Yazbeck Haddad et al. (Oxford University Press, 1988), pp. ix-1.
14.
Jose Casanova, ‘Catholicism, Gender, Secularism and Democracy: Comparative Reflections’, in: Islam, Gender, and Democracy in Comparative Perspective, ed. By Jocelyne Cesari and Jose Casanova, (Oxford, 2017), pp. 46-63.
15.
Dirk H. de Jong, ‘Conceptualization of Gender: from Biblical to Queer’, in: Dirk H. de Jong, Conservative Christianity, Gender Identity, and Religious Liberty: A Primer and a Proposal, (Palgrave MacMillan, 2020), pp. 9-29.
16.
Kolen Slootmaeckers and Conor O’Dwyer, ‘Europeanisation of attitudes towards homosexuality: exploring the role of education in the transnational diffusion of values’, in: Innovation: The European Journal of Social Science Research, Vol. 31, 2018, pp. 147-167.
17.
Katrina Schwartz and Conor O’Dwyer, ‘Return to (Illiberal) Diversity? Resisting Gay Rights in Poland and Latvia’, in: Diversity and European Integration, ed. by Elisabeth Prugl and Markus Thiel, (Palgrave Macmillan, 2009), pp. 115-133.
18.
Charlie Walker, ‘In search of ‘stability’: working class men, masculinity and wellbeing in contemporary Russia’, in: Andrea Cornwall et al., Masculinities under Neoliberalism (Zed Books, 2016), pp. 57-98.
19.
Sergei Kukhterin, ‘Fathers and patriarchs in communist and post-communist Russia’ and Marina Kiblitskaya, ‘Once we were kings: male experience of loss of status at work in post-communist Russia’ and Elena Mashcherkina, ‘New Russian men: masculinity regained?’ in: Gender, State and Society in Soviet and Post-Soviet Russia, ed. by Sarah Ashwin, (Routledge, 2000), pp. 71-105.
20.
Francesca Stella, ‘Introduction. Locating Russian Sexualities’ and ‘Same-Sex Sexualities and the Soviet/Post-Soviet Gender Orders’ in: Francesca Stella, Lesbian Lives in Soviet and Post-Soviet Russia. Post/Socialism and Gendered Sexualities, (Palgrave Macmillan, 2015), pp. 1-67.
21.
Valerie Sperling, ‘Nashi Devushki: Gender and Political Youth Activism in Putin’s and Medvedev’s Russia’, in: Post-Soviet Affairs, Vol. 28, 2012, Issue 2, pp. 232-261.
22.
Anya Bernsein, ‘Body politics and sovereign power in the Pussy Riot Affair’, in: Critical Inquiry, Vol. 40, Issue, 1, 2013.
23.
Yvette Taylor, ‘Complexities and Complications: Intersections of Class and Sexuality’, in: Theorizing Intersectionality and Sexuality, ed. by Yvette Taylor et al. (Palgrave Macmillan, 2010), pp. 17-34.
24.
Anna Carastathis, ‘The concept of Intersectionality in Feminist Theory’, in: Philosophy Compass, Vol. 8, Issue 5, 2014.
25.
UN Women, The value of intersectionality in understanding violence against women and girls, 2016.
26.
Unicef, Rapid review on inclusion and gender equality in Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Centra Asia, 2016.
27.
World Economic Forum, Global Gender Gap report, Methodology and Technical notes, pp. 45-56.
28.
Inaki Permanyer, ‘A critical assessment of the UNDP’s Gender Inequality Index’, in: Feminist Economics, Vol. 19, 2013, pp.1-32.
29.
Colette Harris, ‘Introduction’, in: Colette Harris, Control and Subversion: Gender Relations in Tajikistan, (Pluto Press, 2004), pp. 1-15.
30.
J. Ann Tickner, ‘Feminism meets International Relations: some methodological issues’, in: Feminist Methodologies for International Relations, ed.by Brooke A. Ackery, Maria Stern, and Jacki True, (Cambridge University Press, 2006), pp. 19-42.
31.
Charlotte Hooper, Chapter Three, ‘Masculinities and International Relations’, in: Charlotte Hooper, Manly states. Masculinities, International Relations, and Gender Politics, (Columbia University Press, 2001), pp. 1-16.
32.
Nona Shahnazarian, ‘A good soldier and a good mother: new conditions and new roles in the Nagorno-Karabakh war’, in: The Journal of Power Institutions in Post-Soviet Space, Issue 17, 2016.
33.
UNFPA, Men and gender equality in Armenia, 2016, pp. 14-27.
34.
Sinead Walsh, ‘Feminism in Azerbaijan: Gender, Community and Nation-building’, in: Women's Everyday Lives in War and Peace in the South Caucasus, ed. by U. Ziemer, (Palgrave Macmillan, 2019), pp. 157-198.
35.
Alissa V. Tolstokrova, ‘A Mosaic Model of Gender Democracy in Ukraine’ and Anastasia Ribachuk, ‘Homeless Men and the Crisis of Masculinity in Contemporary Ukraine’, in: Gender, Politics and Society in Ukraine, ed. by Olena Hankivsky, Anastaiya Slanyjkova (University of Toronto Press, 2015), pp. 3-29 and 205-225.
36.
Elise Ketelaars, ‘Geographical value spaces and gender norms in post-Maidan Ukraine: the failed ratification of the Istanbul convention’, in: Review of International Studies, Vol. 45, Special Issue 5, pp. 227-268.
37.
Sarah D. Phillips, ‘Disability, masculinity, and sexuality in post-Soviet Ukraine’, in: Journal of Social Policy Studies, 2012, Vol. 10, Issue 2, pp. 235-258.
38.
Tetyana Bureychak, ‘Nationalism, Masculinities and Neo-traditionalism in Contemporary Ukraine: Patterns of Intersection’, AFP Working Papers, Vol. 1, 2010-2011.
39.
Tamar Tskhadadze, ‘‘The West’ and Georgian ‘Difference’: Discursive Politics of Gender and Sexuality in Georgia’, and Nana Sumbadze, ‘Gender Equality: Still a Disputed Value in Georgian Society’ and Anan Rekhviashvili, ‘Tracing the LGBT Movement in the Republic of Georgia: Stories of Activists’, in: Gender in Georgia. Feminist Perspectives on Culture, National and History in the South Caucasus, ed. by Maia Barkaia and Alisse Waterson, (Berghain Books, 2017), pp. 166-187 and 207-221, 230-257.
Additional Reading
1.
Convention on the Rights of the Child (1990)
2.
International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (1969)
3.
International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (1990).
4.
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2008).
5.
Rebecca Kay, “Gender, Equality and the State from “Socialism to “Democracy”? in: Gender, Equality and Difference During and After State Socialism, ed. by Rebecca Kay (Palgrave Macmillan, 2007), pp. 115-157.
6.
Rochelle Ruthchild, “Feminist dissidents in the “Motherland of Women”s Liberation”, in: Women’s Activism and “Second War” Feminism, ed. By Barbara Molony and Jennifer Nelson, (Bloomsbury, 2017), pp. 4-56.
7.
A. Lāce. “Sievietes “vieta” darba tirgū: nevalstiskais sektors un sieviešu līderība Latvijā” and G. Reire, “Esi lēdija, viņi teica. Sievietes un politiskā līderība Latvijā” in: Sievietes Latvijas Ārpolitikā un Drošības politikā, ed. by E. Vizgunova, A. Sprūds (Latvijas Ārpolitikas institūts) (latviešu plūsmas studijām)
8.
Calvert Journal – a Guide to the New East
9.
Pussy Riot meets Judith Butler and Rosi Braidotti (2014)
10.
Leila Ahmed, Women and Gender and Islam, Princeton University Press, 1991.
11.
Fatima Mernissi, The Veil and the Male Elites: A Feminist Interpretation of Women”s Rights in Islam, (Addison-Wesley, 1991).
12.
Anksana Ismailbekova, “Constructing the authority of women through custom: Bulak village, Kyrgyzstan”, in: Nationalities Papers, Vol. 44, Issue 2, 2016.
13.
Cynthia Werner, “Bride Abduction in Post-Soviet Central Asia: Marking a Shift towards Patriarchy through Local Discourses of Shame and Tradition.” Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute 15, no. 2, 314-331.
14.
Stephan Klasen, Human Development Indices and Indicators: A Critical Evaluation, 2018.
15.
Meghan Simpson, “Local strategies in globalizing gender politics: Women”s organising in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan”, in: Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs, Vol. 26, Issue 1, 2006, pp. 9-31.
16.
Anita Alves Pena, “Economies of scale and gender discrimination in transition: the case of the Republic of Tajikistan”, in: Applied Economics, Vol. 44, Issue 56, 2011, 2265-2281.
17.
Casey D. Hall, “Actives, passives and power: heteronormative gender norms and their implications for intimate partner violence among men who have sex with men in Tajikistan”, in: Culture, Health & Sexuality. Jun2020, Vol. 22 Issue 6, p630-645.
18.
Lerna Ekmekcioglu, Recovering Armenia: The Limits of Belonging in Post Genocide Turkey, (Stanford Univeristy Press, 2016).
19.
Beijing Platform +25 National Reports