F1IS 4505 - From War to Peace- And State-Building: a gendered perspective

A series of 12 seminars with semi-structured discussions based around case-studies drawn from my experiences of working as a development practitioner and gender and conflict researcher in the Somali, wider Horn and East Africa region. This seminar series is a stand-alone package but it will strongly complement any Gender, Conflict and Peacebuilding theory that has been covered in Term 1. The seminar series shares empirical material that will build and deepen understanding of the complexity of the Somali context, an increasingly transnational conflict. The seminars will explore state collapse, clan-related armed conflict, and the violent extremist organization, al Shabaab, from a gender perspective and will consider the approach of European, US, UN actors engaged in peace-building, state-building and counter-violent extremism interventions.

Learning Outcomes

1. Students' will develop an in-depth knowledge and understanding of aspects of Somali society both pre and post state collapse; and will acquire a gendered analysis of the country's political economy and conflict and peace dynamics.
2. Students will acquire knowledge about how Al Shabaab is gender savvy, and uses this awareness to help assert and maintain control over territories it holds.
3. Students will strengthen their understanding of how gender is a relational and analytical concept, rather than synonymous with ‘women and girls'. Learning about key gender concepts and terminology along the way.
4. Students' will deepen / broaden their knowledge and understanding of gender-based violence, as experienced by men and boys as well as women and girls, especially in the context of war and armed struggle for power.

Professional Skills

• gendered conflict analysis
• skills in communication and empathy / ability to understand and convey a situation from the perspective of another person or group.
• applying a gendered perspective to policy development

Judith GARDNER

Séminaire

English

- In Class Presence: 2 hours a week / 24 hours a semester
- Online learning activities: 1 hours a week / 12 hours a semester
- Reading and Preparation for Class: 4 hours a week / 48 hours a semester
- Research and Preparation for Group Work: 18 hours a semester
- Research and Writing for Individual Assessments: 48 hours a semester

Spring 2024-2025

(i) Individual research and communication project leading to oral or visual/ audio presentation to be shared with class, to be developed and delivered during Session 9 of the semester (50% of final grade)
(ii) Written assignment ( 3,000 words) one individually written assignment to be completed shortly after the second half of the semester (50% of final grade)

Part of each seminar will be a pre-recorded presentation and or other audio-visual material that is shared in advance. Each session will begin with an opportunity for students to critically reflect on what has been sent out to them in advance and or concepts that are key to the day's topic. Followed by a structured case-study presentation of research material and analysis. Following a short break, the remainder of the time (around 45 minutes to one hour) will be for discussion – in plenary and when relevant, in break-out groups.