Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2018 - GSWS 350 D100

Public Policy for Women (4)

Class Number: 8857

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 4 – Dec 3, 2018: Fri, 9:30 a.m.–1:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    30 units.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Examines issues where ideas about males and females either explicitly or implicitly influence policy makers. Focuses on current public policies and their relationship to women on topics such as sexuality and violence, economic security, race and inequality, and climate change. Students with credit for POL 350 or GSWS 320 (or WS 320) under this topic may not take this course for further credit.

COURSE DETAILS:

In Canada, profound shifts are occurring in the ways that women and gender inequalities are treated in public policy. The progressive changes that characterized the results of earlier feminist action have been undermined despite the rise of gender mainstreaming. This course will address the reasons behind, and responses to, these changes at different scales of government (e.g., municipal, First Nations, provincial, federal). The course will also interrogate how policies are explicitly or implicitly gendered and racialized, and will use an intersectional lens to identify what characterizes public policy that meets women’s diverse needs. The course will expose students to current public policies and their relationship to women on a wide range of topics (including, but not limited to, child care, housing, economic security, and safety). An integral part of this course is student research into and analysis of existing public policy. Students will also observe and analyze the 2018 municipal elections in the Lower Mainland.  

At the end of this course, students will be able to:
· Identify a broad range of policy tools across institutions, NGOs, and all scales of government.
· Use an intersectional lens to understand the relationship between policy tools and women’s lives.
· Examine how women influence public policy to meet their needs.
· Use field work and analytical writing to examine the policy landscape in practice.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

For more detailed information please see the GSWS website: http://www.sfu.ca/gsws/courses/Educational_Goals.html

Grading

  • Attendance & class participation 20%
  • Article summary & discussion question 15%
  • Municipal election field work & analysis 30%
  • Policy review & presentation 35%

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Various texts (municipal policies, policy analyses, journal articles, etc.) available on Canvas, online, and/or via SFU library databases.

Registrar Notes:

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://students.sfu.ca/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating.  Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community.  Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS