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BGS-011: Understanding Gender and Law

By Dr. Smita M. Patil and Dr. Gurmeet Kaur   |   Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), New Delhi
Learners enrolled: 684

The School of Gender and Development Studies and School of Law, IGNOU are jointly offering the Course titled ‘Understanding Gender and Law’. The main objective of this course is to introduces the fundamental debates on the intersections of gender and law. It engages with the basic premises related to the construction of identities, social spaces, gender and multiple sexualities in the context of women and marginalised categories. The core aspects of this course are that it unfolds the relations between society and law in patriarchal, heteronormative, social order. It explores the construction of law and its embedded nature within societal-legal formations. The manner in which law is practiced and analysed in Indian context is elaborated in this course. It also probes the social-political formations that emerged in the background of legal development such as interventions of women’s movement and social movements. Thus, it involves with the historical trajectories of women’s movement and social movements’ that intervened in the major legal transformations around rape laws, sexual harassment at work place, domestic violence act etc. It interrogates the queer articulations on law for their self-respect and recognition. Polarization based on caste, class and religion and its ramifications on gender and law are cardinal part of it. Question of disability in the field of law is salient component of this course. Broadly, this course maps the various legal cum social changes empowered the gendered articulations. Thus, it attempts to generate, holistic, scholarly engagements that expand the understanding of gender and law.




Summary
Course Status : Completed
Course Type :
Language for course content : English
Duration : 8 weeks
Category :
  • Multidisciplinary
Credit Points : 4
Level : Certificate
Start Date : 31 Jul 2023
End Date :
Enrollment Ends : 31 Aug 2023
Exam Date :

Page Visits



Course layout

WEEK

                        TITLE

  Week-1

Unit 1: Difference between Sex and Gender

Unit 2:  Construction of Gender and Sexualities

  Week-2

Unit 3: Mapping Sexualities

Unit 4: Mapping Multiple Sexualities

  Week-3

Unit 5:  Concept of Law

Unit 7: Role of Law in Society

Week-4

Unit 6: Understanding Indian Legal System

Week-5

Unit 10: Patriarchy in Law

  Week-6

Unit 8: Women’s Movement and its Engagement with Law

Unit 11: Heteronormativity in Law

  Week-7

Unit 9: Strategic Uses of Law by groups

Unit 12: Caste, Class, Religion in Law

  Week-8

Unit 13: Disability in Law

Unit 14: Discrimination against LGBTIQ



Books and references

1. Baxi, Pratiksha (2014) Public Secrets of Law: Rape Trials in India, Oxford university press.

2. Baxi, Upendra (1982) The Crisis of the Indian Legal System Alternatives in Development Law.  Stranger Journalism.

3. Berg Dag-Erik (2020) Dynamics of Caste and Law: Dalits, Oppression and Constitutional Democracy in India, 

4. Crenshaw, K. (1991) “Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color”. Stanford Law Review, 43(6). 

5. Fredman, Sandra (2011) Discrimination Law, Oxford University Press. 

6. Gangoli, Geetanjali. (2007). Indian Feminisms: Law, Patriarchies and Violence in India. Hampshire: Ashgate Publishers. 

7. Hart Hla, Leslie Green, et al.(2014). The Concept of Law. Oxford University Press.

8. Kapur, R. and Cossman, B. (1996). Feminist Legal Revisions: Strategies for Engaging with Law in Subversive Sites. New Delhi: Sage. 

9. Kannabiran, K. (2012) Tools of Justice: Non-Discrimination and the Indian Constitution. New Delhi: Routledge

10. Khare, Ravindra S.  (2021).Caste Hierarchy and Individualism. Oxford University Press, USA.

11. Lerner, Gerda (1987). The Creation of Patriarchy.  Oxford University Press.

12. Menon, N. (2004) Recovering Subversion: Feminist Politics beyond the Law. New Delhi: Permanent Black.

13. Nariman , Fali.S.( 2017). India s Legal System. Penguin UK 

14. Narrain Arvind & Gautam Bhan,(edited)  (2005) Introduction in Because I Have A Voice: Queer Politics in India. 

15. Ponniah, Ujithra and Sowjanya Tamalapakula (2020).  Casteing Queer Identities.13 NUJS L. Rev. 3.

16. Pound, Roscoe (2018).An Introduction to the Philosophy of Law. Ingram short title.

17. Sarat Austin, Patricia Ewick (2015). The Handbook of Law and Society. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

18. Sunder Rajan, Rajeswari (2003) The Scandal of the State: Women, Law, and Citizenship in Postcolonial India, Duke University Press.  

19. Tripathi, B.N. Mani (2018). Jurisprudence (The Legal Theory), Allahabad law agency.

20. Walby, Sylvia (1990) Theorising Patriarchy, Basil Blackwell, Cambridge. 

21. Zanghellini, Aleardo (2021). Imaginative Resistance, Queer Fiction and the Law-Same-Sex Desire and the Good Life in Heteronormative Orders. Routledge. London.


Instructor bio

Dr. Smita M. Patil and Dr. Gurmeet Kaur

Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), New Delhi

Dr. Smita M.Patil is currently an Assistant Professor in School of Gender & Development Studies, IGNOU, New Delhi, India. She earned her M.Phil and PhD from Centre for Political Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. She is recipient of national and international fellowship and delivered lectures at national and international level. She has published on the areas of caste, gender, politics, law, education and so on. Her most recent publications are on ‘Law of One’s Own? On Dalit Women’s Arduous Struggles for Social Justice’ Economic & Political Weekly, (Online), March 26, 2021, EPW engage, ISSN - 2349-8846, ‘Gender Equity and COVID-19: Dalit Standpoints’, Economic & Political Weekly, (Online), March 5, 2021, EPW engage, ISSN - 2349-8846‘Class, Caste and Gender’ published in the Wiley-Blackwell Encyclopedia of Gender and Sexuality Studies, 2016, ISBN 978-1-4051-9694-9, Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, ‘Reading Caste, Gender and Sexuality in Dalit Writings’ in Journal, Intersections: Gender and Sexuality in Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University, Issue 34, March,2014, ‘Revitalising Dalit Feminism: Towards Reflexive, Anti-Caste Agency of Mang and Mahar Women in Maharashtra’, Review of Women’s Studies, Economic & Political Weekly, May 4, VOL XLVIII NO 18, 2013. Her areas of interest are women’s and gender studies, gender and law, political and social theory, caste and identity politics, education and so on.


gurmeetkaur@ignou.ac.in

+91-11-29572984/81

PROFILE

EDUCATION:


Doctor of Philosophy (Law), (2011)

Name of the University: University of Delhi

Discipline: Law

Doctoral Research Topic: “Insurance Liability and Compensation to the Victims of Road Accidents under Motor Vehicles Act. A Critical Appraisal

Master of Law (LLM), (2004)

Name of the University: University of Delhi

Discipline: Law

Academic Achievement: Secured Highest marks

Bachelor of Law (LLB), (2000)

Name of the University: University of Delhi

Academic Achievement: Gold Medalist

WORK EXPERIENCE: 15 years

FELLOWSHIP/AWARDS:

Sl. No.

Name of Fellowship/Awards

Granting/Awarding        

       Institution

Year

1.

Hira Lal Daga Memorial Medal, 2000 (Gold Medal) for securing first position in order of merit in the three consecutive years of L.L.B.  

University of Delhi


Annual Convocation held on 24th February, 2001.

2.

Prof. P. G. Krishnan Memorial Prize, 2000 for securing highest marks in ‘Labour Law’ in L.L.B.

University of Delhi

Annual Convocation held on 24th February, 2001.

3.

Law Union Prize for L.L.B. 2000 for being the best candidate in L.L.B. Examination of University of Delhi 

University of Delhi

Annual Convocation held on 24th February, 2001.

4.

ACADEMIC ENTREPRENEURSHIP AWARD (Law)

Shri Paramhans Education

and Research

7th- INTERNATIONAL MILLENIUM IMPACT AWARD-2021


PUBLICATIONS:

Books Published:

1. Halsbury’s Laws of India. Volume, Income Tax- I.1-385, Lexis Nexis, Butterworth’s, 2008; 

2. Halsbury’s Laws of India. Volume, 41, Income Tax- II.1-561, Lexis Nexis, Butterworth’s, 2008  and 

3. A text book of Legal Studies (class XI),1-216, Oswal publishers, 2015.

Other Research Publications: 

     Research papers/chapter in books, editing of books/courses in following area: Cyber Law, Intellectual Property Rights, Compensation Law, Human Rights, Environmental Law, Women and Child related Social issues.

       Professional Excellence Summary: 

1. Conducted as resource person, various Interactive Radio Counseling, E-counseling, Tele/video conferencing sessions on the Cyber law, Intellectual property Law, domestic violence, Anti Human Trafficking and other aspects of Law.

2. Delivered lectures on cyber law, Intellectual property law, Media Law, Jurisprudence, constitutional law, Family Law, Labour Law, Property Law, women and Law, administrative law, Income Tax.

3. Contributed in curriculum design and planning, pedagogy and other aspects of distance education programmes  and Coordinating programme/courses on cyber law, Intellectual property law,  Gender and Law, Legal process outsourcing.




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