The course examines the complex relationships between gender, violence, economic exploitation, scientific abuse, distorted ethics and warfare. The focus of the course is in assessing the possibilities of engendering notions of peace, conflict, justice, and conflict gender arrangements.  It is also about challenging discourses and practices which ignore, minimize or justify the domination of women worldwide.

Gender is embedded in every single aspect of society, from sex to war.  We will study the debate over the rise of patriarchy and its creation of different, unequal and violent social and cultural structures of power and domination. We will try to answer questions on whether there were any biological or cultural reasons for a division of labor that led women to be subjugated, since prehistoric times. It will study on how this initial division of labor has been maintained throughout most economic revolutions. It will analyze the connections between masculinity, wealth accumulation and violence. Are men more aggressive? Do different historical economic systems depend on the exploitation of women?   Is masculinity the problem for obtaining world peace? Can we have enlightened masculinity and achieve more egalitarian families and more peaceful social relations? We will look at the problem of war and the military.  Are armies run for, and by, men?  Are women better at resolving conflicts? Will their inclusion into armies help create world peace?  This course will also study science, economics, medicine and psychology as engendered disciplines that sometimes reproduce, instead of resolve, conflict and exploitation. We will look at how science has been a partner in genocide and how it can be used to oppress women and minorities. Finally, the occurrence of migration and trafficking will be analyzed, as it is considered a modern form of slavery.