This course focusses on the gendered nature of international security, considering the roles and experiences of women as combatants, activists, peacebuilders, perpetrators of war crimes, and as casualties of armed conflict. As such, write a case study on one the following topics (choose one):
-A case study on a women’s peace movement (e.g. Colombia, Philippines, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Syria, the Women in Black; the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF))
-A case regarding conflict-related gender-based violence (South Sudan, Yemen, etc.)
-Women fighters in a particular conflict (e.g. Women’s Defense Units—Kurdish women fighters in Northern Syria; Women in the FMLN in El Salvador in the 1980s; Women fighters in Sierra Leone etc.
It is imperative that essays are clearly organized with identifiable thesis statements. Be sure to use academic scholarly articles/journals
Students must make clear arguments and consider the broader implications of their
claims. You should use the following six-point structure in organizing your essay:
1) ‘Hook’—The hook should be used to state why your chosen topic is interesting to
both generalist and specialist audiences.
2) Thesis—In one-two sentences sum up what your essay will argue. Draw attention to your thesis statement by beginning it with “This essay argues…” or “In this essay, I
will argue…”
3) Roadmap—Tell the reader how you’re going to make your argument. E.g. “This essay is divided into three sections. First, it will describe the key tenets of realism, discussing its focus on elites, views of human nature, and the difficulties of perpetual peace. It will then discuss some remedies the theory offers for constraining states, such as
the balance of power. Finally, it will highlight some weaknesses in the theory such as its neglect of civil society and failure to consider the role of international norms in influencing states’ behaviour.”
4) Body—make your argument in the way that you outlined in the Roadmap.
5) Summary—Clearly sum up the body of your argument. This will be very similar to the roadmap. E.g. ‘I have discussed X, Y and Z.’
6) Broader implications—Conclude with some thoughts on the relevance of your argument to the wider world. What does it tell or fail to tell us about gender and conflict/peace generally? What are some larger questions that it raises?
