• Zaragoza
• Mumbai
• Sevilla
• Paris
• Florence
• Dakar

Courses

Courses are designed specifically for program participants and will be taught at the TISS campus. They will be taught by TISS faculty or by external resource persons from India. Two courses will be offered during the first six weeks of the program in order to provide a framework for further study and the community service opportunity. All program participants will be expected to take the same set of courses although, with prior arrangement, some potential for independent study may exist.

Courses offered during the first six weeks:

Indian Society: Issues of Class, Caste, Religions, Tribes, and Minorities - 3 Credits
This course will introduce students to Indian social structure through sociological concepts such as caste, class, gender, tribe, and ethnicity. A visit to the rural campus of TISS at Tuljapur will be integrated into this course.

Modern Indian History: Gender and Culture - 3 Credits
This course will introduce the students to contemporary Indian history through coverage of pre-colonial and post-colonial experiences. The study of Indian history will be linked to understanding gender issues in India. Review of women's position in India during the pre and post independence period, women's movements, and important Indian women in history will form the core aspects of the course.

Courses in the last eight weeks of the program:

Indian Social and Economic Development Trajectory - 3 credits
This course will provide a basic understanding of different industrial sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, and service agencies. Issues related to social development, including health, food and nutrition, life style diseases such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, will also be discussed.

Gandhian Philosophy in Contemporary Society - 3 credits
In this course, students will explore Gandhian philosophy and link Gandhian principles to contemporary social trends, such as, individualism, personal empowerment, environmental problems, self-reliance, non-violence, globalization, de-centralization, village Panchayat and governance.

Gender Justice and Human Rights Seminar - 3 credits
This course is designed for experiential learning through an understanding of women's resilience and survival and struggle in adverse circumstances. Exposure to human rights perspectives will guide the students' experience. The themes to be covered include: women and political affiliation, women's self-help groups, street children, women rag pickers and their role in urban waste renewal, sexual minority groups, and HIV and women sex workers. Experiential learning will be facilitated through placements at NGOs supervised by a Faculty mentor and NGO partner.

Credits

All courses in the program are 3 credit hours. Upon satisfactory completion of the program, a transcript of credits earned in the Gender and Development Studies Program will be forwarded by the Wells College Registrar to the student's home college. Grades and credits are assigned by the Director of the Program based on the grades submitted by the instructors on the Program. Students should speak in advance to their major advisor (at their home institution) about courses that will count toward their major requirements.
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Academic Calendar

The Gender and Development Studies Program is conducted during Spring Semester only. The program will begin in early January and end in early May. Students will start with a one week orientation program at the conclusion of which the first two foundation courses will be offered for six weeks. A one week break will take place at the completion of the foundation courses. After break, students will take three courses and participate in a community involvement activity for the remaining eight weeks of the program.
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