Equality in policy and practice 7.5 credits

About the course

The course deals with gender equality as political ideal and practice and will address questions such as: How have the size and character of the welfare state influenced women's opportunities? How is gender equality understood and practiced today? Knowledge of how different historical and ideological choices regarding the welfare state still influence politics today will be provided. The course will also explore the ideal of gender equality from different perspectives and specific emphasis is on examining the ways in which present day societies in general and gender equality in particular are marked by processes of colonialism, heteronormativity and neoliberalism. The course is organized around active student participation and consists of lectures, written assignments, oral presentations, and examination. The course is taught and examined in English.

The course is divided into three broad themes: 1) The development of the welfare state and its implications for gender equality, 2) Heteronormativity, sexuality, and gender equality, 3) Gender equality in policy and practice.