Master of Arts in Livelihoods: Gender and Development

Description

The Master of Arts in Livelihood – Gender and Development, a 2-year programme is anchored in the School of Gender and Livelihoods, Hyderabad. The programme is offered from the academic year 2024-26.

The M.A. in Livelihoods – Gender and Development aims to equip learners with a progressive understanding of the “gender gap” in vital development sectors that differentially impact persons with different gender identities.

The Programme is rooted in an inter- and multidisciplinary approach to evidence-based research that contributes to a re-examination of development theories, feminist thought and policy practices in India based on gender mainstreaming, human rights and sustainable development. Such a programme would also concretize the vision laid down in the NEP, that is, to foster an ethic of social engagement, debate and discussion at the intersection of disciplines and encourage rigorous specialization in a chosen field through inventive teaching methods and learning enhancements.

The specialized programme contains a concerted curriculum and pedagogical initiatives that develop essential skills in students to become good, innovative, adaptable, and productive development practitioners in today’s rapidly changing world. The programme will help students examine how gender relations mediate developmental challenges, agendas and practices in global and local spheres. The programme will introduce learners to theoretical approaches in feminist thought, developmental and social economics and theories of social change. The programme will engage with various social institutions like marriage, kinship, family, community, law, bureaucracy, and the state and how they intersect with human rights, opportunities, capabilities, health and well-being.

The specialization of Gender and Development exemplifies a pedagogic re-orientation, where gender and women’s issues are not treated as “soft issues” but central to the efficiency and efficacy of effective development policies and strategies. The programme is designed to analyze developmental issues through micro and macro perspectives, structural and reflexive analysis, qualitative and quantitative research methods and field immersions to build a cohesive dialogue between learning and practice. The training will also dissect the historical, systematic and cultural underpinnings that create the marginal position of gender minorities in the common development paradigm. Staying true to the nature of the academic curriculum of TISS, the programme ensures field exposure of the students in the form of an internship, fieldwork and a dissertation/capstone project.

Objectives

The programme enables students:

1. To understand key concepts, theoretical debates and frameworks in gender and development practice
2. To understand the concepts, theories, frameworks and strategies of gender and livelihoods
3. To engage with the socio-cultural contexts in which discourses and practices of development are embedded
4. To interrogate the different roles played by State and Institutions in development practice
5. To be able to apply qualitative and quantitative techniques for critical analysis of data and gain hands on experience in some key decision support systems
6. To get exposed to different rural settings, institutions and initiatives for critically analysing and evaluating the interventions and their results and planning

Learning outcomes of the Programme

The 2-year M.A in Livelihoods: Gender and Development programme expects to impart the following learnings for the students:

Curriculum Foci

Curriculum Foci

The courses in the Programme presents an expansive understanding on the following:

• Perspectives: Global South ideas of gender, livelihoods and development
• Core Domains: Understanding of intersecting concerns of Gender, Land, Labour, Livelihoods, Law and Governance, Social Justice, Development Practice and more
• Skills: Gaining competencies in qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research, and data analysis
• Research: Conducting research in intersecting areas of gender, livelihoods, migration, health and public policy
• Experiential Learning and Capstone Project: Working with government and civil society organizations with the focus on intersecting areas of development and livelihoods through Gender lens

Employment Opportunities

Students who graduate with this degree can find their professional career in

• Governmental agencies and departments; in civil and allied administrative services Academia, pursuing inter-disciplinary research and teaching in;
• Non-governmental/ Civil Society organisations working on Gender and Development concerns
• Corporate sector
• Research consultancy firms

Distribution of Credit Hours:

Semesterwise Courses:

Note: 1 credit = 15 hours classroom teaching or 30 hours lab/field experience/workshop/self - study.

Fee Structure:

 *Fee under revision