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STORIA DEI PAESI ISLAMICI
Dati Generali
Periodo di attività
Syllabus
Obiettivi Formativi
Expected learning outcomes
At the end of the course, students will be able to understand and analyse gender dynamics in the MENA region, taking into account factors such as family, sexuality, health, education, labour, climate change.
Ability to apply learning and understanding
The course aims to provide students with the knowledge and methodological tools to analyse the gender dynamics in the MENA region.
In particular, students will learn to:
1. Understand and decode the concepts of women’s empowerment and agency in the specific context of the MENA region;
2. Understand the process of women’s emancipation in the region;
3. Decode patriarchal discourses on reproductive rights and sexuality;
4. Understand graphs and tables and comment on them effectively.
Based on the knowledge acquired during the course, students must demonstrate their ability to develop complex discussions and presentations (individual or group) on the main topics covered. They must also be able to write a critical essay on one of the main topics of the course.
Additional expected learning outcomes
Independent judgement:
Based on the concepts learned, students must demonstrate their ability to analyse the main historical, religious, political, social and economic factors that influence the status of women in the MENA region.
Communication skills:
Students must be able to communicate the concepts learned effectively, actively participating in class discussions led by the instructor and presenting their own research on a topic related to the course.
Learning skills:
At the end of the course, students will have acquired the learning skills necessary to find additional materials related to the course topics and comment on them effectively.
Prerequisiti
none
Metodi didattici
Lectures, seminars, workshops.
The course is divided into two parts: in the first part, the main topics of the course will be addressed through lectures and case studies. In the second part, students will be directly involved in the lessons through presentations and discussions of practical cases. They will also be required to write a final paper.
Verifica Apprendimento
The final exam consists of an orally-based assessment aimed at verifying the achievement of the expected learning outcomes indicated in the educational objectives.
The language of the exam is English.
For students attending the course, group works and presentations of case studies, as well as the preparation of a final individual essay of approximately 3000-3500 words, will contribute to the assessment of their performance.
Assessment criteria: The final assessment, expressed in thirtieths, is aimed at assessing the acquisition of the knowledge and skills indicated in the learning objectives. In particular, the following will be assessed: completeness of information, critical analysis skills, ability to apply the knowledge acquired to the general analysis of the reference area.
Testi
Abu-Lughod, Lila, Do Muslim Women Need Saving, Cambridge (MA), Harward Univ. Press 2013 (in part. chaps. 1, 4 and 5).
Allen, Nathalie. “Gender Disparity and Climate Change – Addressing the Disproportionate Effects of Climate Change on Women.” Global Energy Law and Sustainability 3.2 (2022), pp. 206–226.
Joseph, Suad (ed.), Arab Family Studies : Critical Reviews, Syracuse, New York: Syracuse University Press, 2018 (in part. chaps. 20 and 23).
Tabahi, S. The Construction and Reconstruction of Sexuality in the Arab World: An Examination of Sexual Discourse, Women’s Writing and Reproductive Justice. Sexuality & Culture 24, 1720–1737 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-020-09714-8.
World Bank, Opening Doors. Gender Equality and Development in the Middle East and North Africa (report 2013), World Bank Document
Contenuti
The purpose of this class is to familiarise students with the main analytic debates in the field of gender and women studies in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region.
Four main institutional domains (family, labour market, civil society and state) will be explored in order to understand how gender relations are both defined and transformed in the region.
Preserving human rights, combating discrimination against women and LGBT+ communities, and enhancing equality of life for women and men are cornerstones in developing a sustainable world. Women’s and gender based inequalities remains a significant global concern with important connotations for the MENA region. Women across the region are restricted by gender norms, limiting their physical mobility, access to the labour market, and both household and public decision-making.
Incremental progress has been documented within the region: areas such health, education, labour have seen significant improvement in gender-related indices; laws and policies on gender equality are growing, women’s representation in government and in national programming has increased. Yet, in the midst of these gains, gender gaps in the region persist and part of recent progress is at risk of regress, due to the intersection with further global and regional crises factors, including political and economic upheavals, conflicts, occupations, climate change and extreme environmental events.
Furthermore, the patriarchal character of governments reinforces unequal socio-cultural norms and practices through laws, justice mechanisms and socio-political institutions. Thus has a negative impact non only on women’s status but also on the recognition of the rights of LGBT+ person in the region. Many governments in the region reject the concepts of “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” altogether. Same-sex sexual relations are criminalised in most of the countries in the region, and few countries recognise the rights of homosexual and transgender persons.
However, amid this difficult scenario female and LGBT+ activism is defying state and social stigma, thus contributing to changing gender norms in the MENA region.
Tackling the issue of gender equality in the Mena region, four areas will receive separate attention:
- Health, sexuality and reproductive rights
- Learning and labour market
- Freedom from Violence and Access to Justice
- Participation and Leadership.
- Gender inequality and climate change.
Lingua Insegnamento
English
Altre informazioni
None