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60392-01 - Seminar: Women and Politics in Comparative Perspective: Reasons and Consequences of Unequal Representation (3 CP)
| Semester | spring semester 2026 |
| Course frequency | Irregular |
| Lecturers | Daniel Höhmann (daniel.hoehmann@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | Although women make up more than half of the world’s population, they are still significantly underrepresented in political institutions. The seminar provides a research-oriented overview of current empirical research on women in political institutions and tackles the following four questions: (1) Why are women (still) underrepresented in politics? (2) Which factors affect the representation of women in political institutions? (3) Does it make a difference whether women are represented in political institutions? (4) What are the policy-consequences of a fairer representation of women in politics? Since women's representation varies widely across institutions and countries, these questions will be analyzed in a comparative perspective. In the seminar we will - among others - take a closer look at the following political institutions: Political parties, parliaments, governments, constitutional courts, and elections. In addition, basic concepts of representation and gender studies will be discussed. The focus of the seminar, however, lies on empirical-analytical research on women in politics. |
| Learning objectives | After completing the seminar, students will • possess a sound knowledge of the current literature on women’s representation in political institutions. • know the most important theoretical and empirical approaches to studying women and politics along with their strengths and limits. • be able to critically and independently assess current debates and the state of research regarding specific topics within the literature on women and politics. • be able to identify and systematically answer open research questions regarding women and politics. |
| Bibliography | The follwoing two books provide an overview of the field: • Krook, M. and Sarah Childs (eds.) (2010). Women, Gender, and Politics: A Reader. New York: Oxford University Press. • Waylen, G., Karen Celis, Johanna Kantola and S. Laurel Weldon (eds.) (2013). The Oxford Handbook of Gender and Politics. Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press. |
| Comments | The number of participants is limited to 30 people. The places are assigned according to date of enrollment and subject of study. Priority will be given to students of Political Science and Sociology. Attention: All Seminars will be graded in the Department of Political Science. Grading scale 6.0 to 1.0, whereupon 4.0 is a pass. |
| Admission requirements | The number of participants is limited to 30 people. The places are assigned according to date of enrollment and subject of study. Priority will be given to students of Political Science and Sociology. Attention: All Seminars will be graded in the Department of Political Science. Grading scale 6.0 to 1.0, whereupon 4.0 is a pass. |
| Course application | Durch Belegen |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Tuesday | 10.15-11.45 | Bernoullistrasse 14/16, Seminarraum 02.004 |
Dates
| Modules |
Modul: Erweiterung Gesellschaftswissenschaften M.A. (Master's degree subject: Political Science) Modul: Regionaler Fokus M.A. (Master's degree subject: Political Science) Modul: Ungleichheit, Konflikt, Kultur (Master's degree subject: Sociology) Modul: Vertiefung Politikwissenschaft M.A. (Master's degree subject: Political Science) Modul: Vertiefung Themenfelder der Geschlechterforschung (Master's degree subject: Gender Studies) Module: Conflicts and Peacebuilding (Master's degree program: Changing Societies: Migration – Conflicts – Resources) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | • Reading the required texts and preparation for each session. • Active participation in group works and discussions in class. • Writing a short literature review. All Seminars will be graded in the Department of Political Science. Grading scale 6.0 to 1.0, whereupon 4.0 is a pass. |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | 1-6 0,5 |
| Repeated registration | as often as necessary |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Politikwissenschaft |