Political economy aims at understanding society and social relations from a materialist perspective drawing on the interplay of economic, political, and social life. Central to the study of political economy is the way that societies not only produce but reproduce themselves. Feminist political economy offers a comprehensive approach to fully account for the relations of gender, race and class are central to the reproduction of societies.
The course first provides a historical perspective of the evolution of gender relations and the role of the state in shaping and causing gender disparities at both macroeconomic and microeconomic levels, and also in societal and political realms. The course then provides a general understanding of how women and men differ in its labor market outcomes, and how them relate to the gendered aspects of household production. Does the state reinforce or alleviate gender differences in the economy? Are these differences related to political behavioral disparities between women and men? We question different policies and forms of the state (e.g. political regimes) in providing different levels of gender equality and widening gender disparities in economics and politics. The different representation of women and men in different societal dimensions lead to gender gaps in economic and political power: do female political leaders lead to different economic outcomes? How economic power is distributed across genders and other identities and socio-economic statuses? Parallel to the focus on women and men disparities, the course takes a transversal interest in non-binary gender conceptualizations and introduces LGTBQ+ political economy. Thus, the course offers a critical examination of analytical categories in socio-economic literature and expands gender as an analytical category together with other intersections based on demographics contextualized in the Global North and Global South.
Some advance lectures of the course will be conducted in the last weeks, where the course reviews the interplay between economic structures and political systems from a variety of topics and social disciplines. The issue of political representation and gender equality will be also studied from different dimensions, and contextualize it in international and macroeconomic paradigms.
The course ultimately promotes a critical thinking of gender differences in the society and whether the state and other institutional settings promote gender equality. Students will be provided with a strong theoretical and empirical background and research tools in feminist studies.
Examination: students will choose one paper of the syllabus to present it at the end of each session (except for the first session) for the "studienleistung". For those who opt for 3 ECTS, the presentation will be enough. For the "prufungleistung", students might have to write a research paper of about 5 pages if they are pursuing for 6 ECTS.
- Lehrende(r): Izaskun Zuazu Bermejo