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Topics in Gender and Sexuality Studies (490-0-23)

Topic

Gender in Colonial Spanish America

Instructors

Sarah Bey West

Meeting Info

Parkes Hall 213: Mon 2:00PM - 4:50PM

Overview of class

From the early representations of land as gendered in the chronicles of Christopher Columbus, to the gender crossings of a trans nun who became a conquistador in Peru, this course will consider the central role gender played in the colonization attempts of Latin America through the crónica or chronicle genre. We will also explore important African, Indigenous and Mestiza/o perspectives through archival material, images, codices, and other primary source material. Emphasis will be placed on the shifting terrain of defining the gender binary and its relation to race and class in the emergent concept of "América." A reading knowledge of Spanish is recommended for this course, but not required. This course will be taught in English.