This seminar is designed for Ph.D. students as a foundation for future research on the origins and persistence of gender inequality in politics and other positions of power. We will look at variation in gender inequality indicators to systematically address how women’s and men’s socio-economic status and political power has varied across time (in historical perspective) and place (in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas). Throughout the course, we will pay particular attention to the way gender intersects with other identities, such as race, ethnicity, sexuality and class. We will draw on readings primarily from political science and economics, but also sociology, psychology, law, and anthropology. The course readings include selected works from the canon of gender in politics research—those that have proven classic to the theoretical foundations of the subfield—as well as recent cutting-edge empirical work from top academic journals.
Course number will change to PS204 after Phase 1.