Courses and questions

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.

Pol 341–Paper Requirements                  SSI009

Paper 1, 25 points: Due June 11
Paper 2, 25 points: Due June 22

Basics: 1200-1500 words, typed, double-spaced, hard copy only. NO COVER PAGE please.

References: While this is not a research paper, it is expected that you will do some additional reading for these papers. Thus, you do need to cite any references, including course material and anything you pull off the web. You must offer a full citation, including author, publisher, date; cf. ‘Citation Methods’, below.

Substance: Short version: write about some aspect of women and politics. Real version: Take some topic which is discussed in the readings or class and write about it. For the first paper, you’re to write on a matter discussed between June 2 and June 11; for the second paper, a topic discussed between June 11 and June 22.
Within these parameters, you have a wide latitude in which to explore a particular topic. Some of you are uncomfortable coming up with a topic of your own, however, so I offer the following suggestion for the first paper (I’ll offer a similar set of suggestions for the second paper):
*A common theme in both the Henderson & Jeydel and Al-Ali & Pratt books is that women as political actors and what are considered women’s issues tend to be sidelined by male political leaders, even those who proclaim their fealty to women’s equality. Take one or two real-world situations and examine in detail whether this holds true, i.e., what actions leaders take, what they say to justify their actions, and how female supporters respond to both their actions and their justifications.
*Scandinavian countries, Rwanda, and South Africa do particularly well in incorporating women into their political structures. Pick one country and explain in detail what has been done to bring women into institutional politics, what problems have occurred, and what remains to be done.
*Henderson & Jeydel, citing Maxine Molyneux, distinguish between ‘strategic gender interests’ and ‘practical gender interests’, noting that those pursuing strategic interests tend to take a more consciously feminist approach. Pick one or two social movements and examine whether this distinction between strategic and practical interests makes sense.
*Revolutionary movements are premised on liberation, but it is rare that women’s liberation is considered an integral factor to the larger liberation movement. Pick one revolutionary movement and examine its relationship to its women members, whether they are integrated into leadership, and how much rhetorical and practical activity is expended on behalf of women’s liberation.

Citation methods:
There are a number of acceptable ways to cite your material; what is listed, below, is simply one set of methods. Remember: you need to offer a footnote or endnote when you quote directly or if you use specific material (not in quotes) from a source. Whether you use foot- or endnotes is up to you.

Book
Beauchamp, Tom L., and James F. Childress. Principles of Biomedical Ethics, 4th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1994.
Edited volume
Flack, Harley E. and Edmund D. Pellegrino, eds. African-American Perspectives on Biomedical Ethics. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press, 1992.
Chapter from edited volume
Dryzek, John S. and David Schlosberg. “Disciplining Darwin: Biology in the History of Political Science.” In Political Science in History, James Farr, John S. Dryzek, and Stephen T. Leonard, eds. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995.
Journal article
Beauchampt, Tom L. “The Failure of Theories of Personhood.” Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal 9, no. 4 (December 1999):309-324.
Government report
U.S. National Research Council. Mapping and Sequencing the Human Genome. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1988.
Web citation:
United Nations. Universal Declaration of Human Rights. http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html
Web citation, with author:
Carmine, J.D. ‘Marriage as Prostitution: Baby Boomers vs. Millenials.’ Blogcritics: July 18, 2005. blogcritics.org/archives/2005/07/18/095235.php