Making a 'Second Sex': Women and Gender in Modern European History
Course #: HIST 337
Description:
This course examines the history of Europe from the Enlightenment through the present, using the primary prism of women and gender, with secondary, intersectional lenses of class, ethnicity, race, and sexuality. We will focus on gendered themes such as private vs. public, sameness vs. difference, sexuality, feminism, and women's political roles, and we will look at major moments like the Enlightenment, French Revolution, Imperialism, the World Wars, Eastern Europe, Decolonization and Contemporary Identity. At the same time, we will take an intersectional lens to many of the events of European history, using gender alongside of class (in the Industrial Revolution and the Russian Revolution), race (in imperialism and decolonization), ethnicity (especially in discussions of ethnic cleansing in the Balkans), and sexuality (in the interwar period and in the contemporary period). In so doing, we will demonstrate how a focus on women and gender, with implications in class, ethnicity, race, and sexuality, leads to an essential shift in how we think about the major times and events of European history. Due to these multiple themes and foci, this course satisfies the UMass Boston requirement for International Diversity.
Pre Requisites: Pre-requisite: ENGL 102