Gender Studies

DIPLOMA IN GENDER STUDIES

Brief Description of the Course

The Diploma course on Gender Studies has been designed keeping in view the gender situation of the country in general and that of the state of Odisha in particular, which is marked by poverty and gender inequality. The causes of the growing inequality amongst others are the traditional social barriers and the unresponsive attitude of the social managers’ unequal power relationship that deprive people to exercise their capabilities. The curriculum enables the students to learn the art and science of conscientising the people, mobilizing the marginalized groups and mainstreaming gender concerns in social, cultural, political and economic practices. Gender Studies investigates the actual (physical and biological) gender differences between women and men, but thinks especially critical about what these differences mean in a socio-cultural context. Gender frames how we view and interact with the world. Gender Studies is a new and exciting field of scholarship that places gender at the center of scholarly analysis. The P.G. Diploma in Gender Studies is an Interdisciplinary degree that draws upon courses in Gender Studies, American Humanities, Social Sciences Psychology and other gender-related courses as part of the requirement.

Course details

Gender Studies focuses on both genders and their relations to each other. It analyses gender relations in the past and present. They advance the understanding of social process. Thus they contribute the solution of key problems that society faces today.

Gender is an important area of study in many disciplines, such as literary theory, drama studies, film theory, performance theory, contemporary art history, anthropology, sociology, psychology and psychoanalysis. These disciplines sometimes differ in their approaches to how and why they study gender. For instance, in anthropology, sociology and psychology, gender is often studied as a practice, whereas in cultural studies representations of gender are more often examined. Gender Studies is also a discipline in itself: an interdisciplinary area of study that incorporates methods and approaches from a wide range of disciplines.

Objectives

  • Sensitize and help to develop gender perspective thinking by drawing experiences of feminist scholars and feminist activists and include gender more broadly to sexualities, power relations and related areas like caste, class, community, race etc.
  • Understand gender issues with a human rights perspective, mainstream the same into government and non governmental organizations by questioning the gender discriminatory practices and policies followed, and create approaches towards gender equality.
  • Enable and recognize men, women on equal grounds with uniform rights as equal human beings and agents and actors of development and include them equally in policy making and advocacy etc.
Eligibility – A Bachelors’ Degree in any discipline
Duration – One year (40 credits)
Total Seats – 20
Course Fee- Rs.5,000/-

Evaluation

Evaluation will be done on the basis of attendance (40%), assignments (40%) and a single comprehensive examination at the end of the course (20%).

Course contents

  • Gender Theory and concepts
  • Historical Perspective of addressing issues concerning Gender
  • Gender issues, Environment & Media Technology
  • Gender and Development
  • Feminist Research Methodology
  • Gender Health and Nutrition
  • Gender and Law
  • Field Work/Project Work/Assignments

Job opportunities

  • Academicians
  • Gender trainees
  • Research fellows
  • Project and Programme coordinators
  • Gender consultants
  • Counsellors to all fields including HIV/AIDS
  • Opportunities in UNICEF, UNIFEM
  • NGOs working for Women’s issues
  • Ministry Of Women and Child Welfare
N.B : Classes will be conducted in the weekends
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