Government 325 - SEMINAR IN COMPARATIVE GOVT

Topics course. This course interrogates same-sex politics in contemporary Africa. Because little has been written about same-sex politics in Africa in the political science discipline, we draw primarily from texts written by sociologists, anthropologists, historians and activists. Building on this multidisciplinary corpus, we examine same-sex issues using a political scientist's lens. Some examples of what we cover: colonial legacy on policy towards sexual minorities, contemporary public opinion toward same-sex relationships, homophobia as a valence vs. wedge issue, and the relative power of transnational movements for LGBT rights. Our collective goal is to better understand the landscape that ordinary Africans navigate with respect to same-sex issues, and the role of politics in public opinion and policy formation.

Topic: Same Sex Politics in Africa. Instructor permission. Not open to first-years, sophomores