New Introductory Courses in History (200-0-30)

Topic

Global Queer Activism

Instructors

Martha Allegra Robinson Rhodes

Meeting Info

Harris Hall L06: Mon, Wed 11:00AM - 12:20PM

Overview of class

Queens. Inverts. Sapphists. Hijra. Uranians. Abatoni. Friends of Dorothy. Many of the terms used to describe gender and sexual minorities in the past and around the world might be unrecognizable to us today - but they have all shaped current understandings of sex, gender and identity. In this course students will explore queer histories in a global context to understand the people and experiences behind the categories. Instead of a chronological approach, or looking at countries in isolation, the class will focus on the most hotly-debated topics in gender history and queer history: how have identity categories developed over time and in different contexts? How have gender and sexual minorities fought for liberation, and how have these efforts informed movements around the world today?

Learning Objectives

1) Explain how understandings of gender, sex and sexuality have changed over time and in different cultural contexts,

2) Engage with historiographical debates in the field of queer history,

3) Interpret and analyze primary sources in context

Evaluation Method

Participation (15%), three short papers (15% each), a presentation (15%) and a final project (25%). For the final project, students will be able to choose between a traditional essay and an alternative format, such as a podcast or a museum exhibit.

Class Notes

Concentration: Global

Class Attributes

Historical Studies Foundational Discipline
Historical Studies Distro Area