Syllabus:

Critical Perspectives on Nordic Gender Equalities, 15 Credits

Swedish name: Critical Perspectives on Nordic Gender Equalities

This syllabus is valid: 2021-12-06 and until further notice

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Syllabus for courses starting after 2021-12-06

Syllabus for courses starting before 2021-12-05

Course code: 2KC034

Credit points: 15

Education level: Second cycle

Main Field of Study and progress level: Gender Studies: Second cycle, has only first-cycle course/s as entry requirements

Grading scale: Three-grade scale

Responsible department: Umeå Centre for Gender Studies (UCGS)

Revised by: Director of Umeå Centre for Gender Studies (UCGS), 2021-11-18

This course deals with gender equality as political ideal and practice in the Nordic region. Taking a historical departure the course will address questions such as: How and when was the issue of gender equality put on the political agenda in the Nordic countries? How is gender equality understood and practised today? Are Nordic countries still to be conceived as egalitarian? Drawing on various research fields such as post-structuralist feminist theory, postcolonial theory as well as critical perspectives on violence, class and sexuality the course will explore the ideal of gender equality from different angles. Special emphasis is put on examining the ways in which present day Nordic societies in general and gender equality in particular are marked by processes of postcoloniality, heteronormativity and neoliberalism. This is a cross-disciplinary course and will be able to enrich and complement courses in many different programmes. The course is organized around active student participation and consists of lectures, seminars and written examinations. The course is taught in English.

Expected learning outcomes

Module 1: Gender and Politics in the Nordic countries (7,5 ECTS)

Knowledge and understanding:

Identify, analyze and explain key concepts in gender and welfare research.
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of background factors for the emergence of welfare state redistribution, as well as for the effects of the welfare state's emergence and dismantling.

Skills and abilities:

Independently, identify different welfare systems for gender equality and work for different groups in society.
Independently discuss and formulate relevant questions on welfare redistribution, work and gender equality with support in feminist perspectives.

Judgement and approach:

Present in writing and orally an independent analysis of the relationship between the welfare state, work and gender equality.

Module 2: Critical perspectives on Nordic gender equalities (7,5 ECTS)

Knowledge and understanding:

Account for the different feminist analytic perspectives presented,
Demonstrate knowledge of central policy fields and understanding of their contexts and functions from a critical perspective.

Skills and abilities:

Independendtly apply and compare different analytic perspectives on gender equality politics and neighbouring field,
Independently identifiy and discuss relevant problematizations of Nordic gender equality policy.

Judgement and approach:

In oral and written form, present an independent, critical analysis of Nordic gender equality policies related to processes of colonialism, heternormativity, class, and neoliberalism.

Required Knowledge

To be admitted to the course applicants must have completed three semesters of full time studies, equivalent to 90 ECTS, of which at least 15 ECTS must be an independent project or four semesters of full time studies equivalent to 120 ECTS.

English proficiency equivalent to English A/5 from Swedish Upper secondary education.

Form of instruction

Teaching is conducted through lectures and seminars. Major part of the scheduled lectures and seminars are compulsory, and students who are unable to participate may be given extra examination tasks. Emphasis is placed on students' independent work.

Examination modes

The course will be examined gradually through active participation in seminars, and through individual oral, and written examination. The examination of module 1 consists of one written assignment. The examination of module 2 consists of one individual written assignment. For both modules and the course as a whole, the following grades are given: Fail (U), Pass (G) and Pass with distinction (VG). In order to be awarded Pass for the entire course, it is necessary that all examinations and all compulsory teaching sessions have been passed. In order to achieve Pass with distinction on the whole course, this grade is demanded on module one and two.

A re-sit examination can be offered at the earliest ten days and at the latest three months after publishing information about the first examination. One more examination will be offered within the next year. A student who has passed the examination is not eligible for a new examination to raise grades. The option of a re-examination based on the original course syllabus will be available for at least two years after a student registered for the course. All in all, a student is given five chances of fulfilling the course examination. A student has the right to change examiner after failing two examinations for a course module, unless there are strong arguments against this. Course diplomas will be issued within 60 days after a passed examination.

Academic credit transfer

This course cannot be credited for other courses in gender studies at Umeå University. A course with the same name (7,5 ECTS), given during Autumn 2006, can be given credits for in this course corresponding to 7,5 ECTS. For further information we recommend contact with the director of studies.

Literature

Valid from: 2021 week 50

Acker Joan
Inequality regimes: gender, class, and race in organizations.
Included in:
Gender & society[Elektronisk resurs]b published in association with Sociologists for Women in Society
Thousand Oaks, Ca : Sage : 2000- : 20 : pages 441-464 :
Mandatory
Reading instructions: https://journals-sagepub-com.proxy.ub.umu.se/doi/10.1177/0891243206289499

Borchorst Anette
Women-friendly policy paradoxes? Childcare policies and gender equality visions in Scandinavia
Included in:
Gender equality and welfare politics in Scandinavia
Bristol : Policy : 2008 : xi, 244 s. :
Mandatory
Reading instructions: pp 27-42

 The claim of economic citizenship: the concept of equality in a historical context
Carlsson Wetterberg Christina, Melby Kari
Included in:
Gender equality and welfare politics in Scandinavia
Bristol : Policy : 2008 : xi, 244 s. : pages 43-62 :
Mandatory

Currell Susan
Introduction
Included in:
Popular eugenics
Athens, Ohio : Ohio University Press : c2006. : x, 406 p. : pages 1-16 :
Mandatory
Reading instructions: p 1-16

Esping-Andersen Gösta
The Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism
Included in:
The welfare state
Cambridge : Polity Press in association with Blackwell : 2000 : xi, 403 s. : pages 160-174 :
Mandatory

Eugenics and the Welfare State : Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland
Michigan State University Press : 2005 :
Mandatory
Reading instructions: pp. 1-272

Fraser Nancy
"After the Family Wage: Gender Equity and Social Welfare"
Included in:
Political theory
Beverly Hills : Sage Publications : 1973- : 22 : pages 591-618 :
Mandatory

Fraser Nancy
Contradictions of capital and care
Included in:
New left review.
London,c 1960- : 1960- :
Mandatory

Lewis Jane
Gender and Welfare Regimes
Included in:
Social politics
Champaign, Ill. : Published by the University of Illinois Press in cooperation with the Swedish Council for Social Research : 1994- : Vol. 1(1994)- :
Mandatory
Reading instructions: pp. 160-177

Women-friendly policy paradoxes? : Childcare policies and gender equality visions in Scandinavia
Melby Kari, Borchorst Anette
Included in:
Gender equality and welfare politics in Scandinavia
Bristol : Policy : 2008 : xi, 244 s. :
Mandatory
Reading instructions: pp. 27-42

A nordic Model of gender equality? Introduction
Melby Kari, Carlsson Wetterberg Christina, Ravn Anna-Birte
Included in:
Gender equality and welfare politics in Scandinavia
Bristol : Policy : 2008 : xi, 244 s. : pages 1-26 :
Mandatory

Sugiman Pamela Haruchiyo
Labour's Dilemma: The Gender Politics of Auto Workers in Canada, 1937-1979
University of Toronto Press :
Mandatory
Reading instructions: Introduction" + Chapter 1 https://search.ub.umu.se/permalink/46UMEA_INST/1v5n3j5/alma9921396533704996 pp. 1-26.

Easily accessible articles might be added.

Approaches to gender mainstreaming: What's the problem represented to be?
Bacchi Carol, Eveline Joan
Included in:
Mainstreaming politics
Adelaide, S. Aust. : University of Adelaide Press : c2010. : xviii, 368 p. :
Mandatory

Mainstreaming and neoliberalism: a contested relationship.
Bacchi Carol, Eveline Joan
Included in:
Mainstreaming politics
Adelaide, S. Aust. : University of Adelaide Press : c2010. : xviii, 368 p. :
Mandatory

Brown Wendy
Postmodern Exposures, Feminist Hesitations.
Included in:
States of injury
Princeton, N.J. : Princeton University Press : 1995 : xiii, 202 s. : pages 30-51. (21 pages) :
Mandatory

Brown Wendy
Suffering Rights as Paradoxes.
Included in:
Constellations
Oxford : Blackwell Publishers : 1997- : Vol 7 : pages 230-241. (11 pages) :
Mandatory
Reading instructions: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1467-8675.00183/pdf pp.230-241. (11 s)

Representations of Equality : Processes of Depoliticization of the Citizen-Subject
Edenheim Sara, Rönnblom Malin
Included in:
Gendered Citizenship and the Politics of Representation
London : Palgrave Macmillan UK : 2016. : XVII, 312 p. 2 illus. :
Mandatory

Women's questions on the agenda : the politicisation of gender equality in Sweden
Florin Christina, Nilsson Bengt
Included in:
Different paths to modernity
Lund : Nordic Academic Press : 2005 : 368 s. :
Mandatory

Frazer Nancy
Feminism, capitalism and the cunning of history
Included in:
New left review.
London,c 1960- : 1960- : Vol. 56 : pages 20 s. :
Mandatory

Honkanen Kattis
Equality politics out of the subaltern
Included in:
Critical studies of gender equalities
Göteborg ;a Stockholm : Makadam : 2008 : 223 s. :
Mandatory
Reading instructions: pp 204-219

Discursive Dynamics in Gender Equality Politics: What about Feminist Taboos?
Lombardo Emanuela, Meier Petra, Verloo Mieke
Included in:
The European journal of women's studies
London : Sage : 1999- : 17 : pages 105-123 :
Mandatory

Magnusson Eva
Conflict, danger and Difference. Nordic heterosexual couples converse about gender equality and fairness.
Included in:
Critical studies of gender equalities
Göteborg ;a Stockholm : Makadam : 2008 : 223 s. : pages 161-179. (17 pages) :
Mandatory

Raevaara Eeva
In the land of equality?
Included in:
Critical studies of gender equalities
Göteborg ;a Stockholm : Makadam : 2008 : 223 s. :
Mandatory
Reading instructions: pp 75-93

Rönnblom Malin
De-politicising gender? : constructions of gender equality in Swedish regional policy
Included in:
Critical studies of gender equalities
Göteborg ;a Stockholm : Makadam : 2008 : 223 s. :
Mandatory
Reading instructions: pp 112-143

Management and gender diversity : intertwining categories and paradoxes
Staunæs Dorthe, Søndergaard Dorte Marie
Included in:
Critical studies of gender equalities
Göteborg ;a Stockholm : Makadam : 2008 : 223 s. :
Mandatory
Reading instructions: pp 135-160

Stormhoj Christel
Queering the family. Critical reflections on state regulated heteronormativity in the Scandinavian countries.
Included in:
Lambda nordica
Stockholm : Föreningen Lambda nordica : 1989- : 3-4 (8) : pages 38-56. (18 pages) :
Mandatory

Törnqvist Maria
From threat to promise. The changing position of gender quota in the Swedish debate on Women's Political representations.
Included in:
Critical studies of gender equalities
Göteborg ;a Stockholm : Makadam : 2008 : 223 s. : pages 75-93. (18 pages) :
Mandatory

Wiegman Robyn
Interchanges: Heteronormativity and the desire for gender
Included in:
Feminist theory

https://search.ub.umu.se/permalink/46UMEA_INST/1l5esu/cdi_crossref_primary_10_1177_1464700106061460
Mandatory