Wikipedia talk:Education program archive/Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies/Gender and International Affairs (Fall 2013)/Course description

This course surveys salient issues and problems pertaining to gender and other status distinctions on a global scale. It introduces students to theoretical approaches from feminist, queer and post-colonial theory and to topics such as the gendered global economy, the intersections of masculinity and war-making, and gender-based violence. Emphasis is placed on exploring how international organizations, governments and civil society organizations have participated in defining and addressing these injustices. The course combines lectures and discussion, drawing on scholarly literature and films, and engaging with experts from “International Geneva.”

The course includes the following learning goals: First, it seeks to (re-)introduce students to major topics in International Affairs by having them look at the world through a gender/queer/post-colonial lens, providing new perspectives on perennial problems. Second, it seeks to help students develop the ability to interpret, analyze, and assess international issues and problems applying concepts from feminist theory and feminist methodology. Finally, students will develop their writing skills, increase media and information fluency, improve critical thinking and research skills, hone their collaborative skills working in a community of practice, and develop technical and communication skills through a joint writing project.

Wikipedia assignment
Students will improve an existing or create a new Wikipedia entry on a topic identified by the instructor. They will work in groups of 4–5 to do the research and writing, and they will comment on each other’s contributions on the article's talk page with the goal of improving the entry. Entries will be graded using Wikipedia good article criteria, i.e. they need to be well-written, verifiable (with citations—no original research), broad in coverage, neutral, stable (i.e. don’t change significantly from day to day), and possibly illustrated with images. While the end product is collaborative, activity on Wikipedia will be tracked to verify extent of individual engagement. The exercise will end December 18.

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