DSPO 23A12 - Geopolitics of gender - Navigating gender in times of crises and conflicts

This course approaches key dimensions of contemporary geopolitics, such as development, migration, climate change, conflicts, religious fundamentalism(s) or democratic backsliding, through the lens of gender. How are these dimensions entangled with different framings of gender (in)equality and diverging understandings of the gendered distribution of power and resources? How these frames relate to various regimes of oppression and/or domination systems fueling social, racial and gender inequalities, and to (post-)coloniality? Elaborating upon critical feminist and neo-institutionalist approaches to the fields of international relations and development studies, the course will provide a broad introduction to the geopolitics of gender in the 21st century, to be further supported in the light of case studies discussions with the class. Taking a closer look to the MENA region, the course will explore how structural inequalities and cultural representations around gender have contributed to shape post-revolutionary scenarios, religious conflicts, climate-induced risks, or the long-term consequences of the so-called “war on terror” – and how contention over gender norms is leveraged by global and regional powers in a new era of conflicts and geopolitical realignments. The course will complement the exploratory seminar Eco/Feminism(s) Past and Present: Theories, Practices, and the Climate Emergency (Julie Gorecki) (1st year) and the inter-major seminar Anthropologie du genre, une approche pour l'étude des sociétés méditerranéennes (Lucille Florenza, Florie Bavard) (2nd year).

A group case study presented in relation to sessions 4,5 and 6 (Mid-March/April 2026) – 50%