Pol 341—Paper 2

DUE DATE CHANGE: Now due THURSDAY, JUNE 25

Same basic requirements for second paper as for first; again, you have the option of working up your own topic. Otherwise, write on ONE of the following:

*H&J note that a few Scandinavian countries policies on childcare are aimed explicitly at increasing the father’s involvement in such care. Pick a country or region and explore their childcare policies, noting the reasons for those policies (e.g., increasing women’s equality and participation in the workforce, as good for child development, pro-natalism, etc.), as well as their effectiveness in meeting the various goals, the costs, and the benefits.
*Kaplan notes that many women became involved in Jane because they saw a ‘crying need’ for the service. Discuss a similar trajectory in any other area involving women and politics, whether it was couched in explicitly political terms, and whether and how this movement (and members’ understanding of the purposes of the movement) has evolved over time. [Possible examples: domestic violence shelters, home-birth movement, increased use of midwives, breastfeeding; anti- child-marriage efforts; etc.]
*Al-Ali & Pratt note that the attention paid to women’s status in Iraq changed as its utility to the interests of the various actors changed. Discuss a similar situation in any country, with particular attention paid to the narrative of concern, any actions taken (or noticeably not taken), and what, if any, action were women themselves able to take.
*H& J note that the education of girls and women in general and as regarding their bodies and sexuality in particular are seen as crucial in improving their status. Pick one or two countries and trace efforts made to increase access to education, obstacles to such increased access (including ideological opposition), and what, if any, differences there are in the amount and content of education for girls versus boys.