College Seminar (101-7-20)

Topic

Gender and Sexuality in Early Modern England

Instructors

Scott Sowerby
847/491-7356
Harris Hall Room 207

Meeting Info

Locy Hall 303: Mon, Wed 2:00PM - 3:20PM

Overview of class

This course investigates the history of gender and sexuality in early modern England by examining the social norms that shaped behavior. Notions of what was normative and what was aberrant were constantly being tested. Public scandals served as moments of stress, revealing the cultural faultlines in the changing world of early modern England. These cultural energies found their way into plays and poems, which reenacted the wider struggles over social norms. Themes covered include love, marriage, and sexual desire, including same-sex desire.

Learning Objectives

Learn to evaluate primary sources, assessing the purposes for which the sources were created and examining how they address their intended audiences; learn how to use primary sources to develop novel interpretations of historical events, movements and ideologies; learn how to analyze and critique interpretations advanced in the secondary literature regarding the history of gender and sexuality; construct persuasive narratives of change over time; understand the multivalent and overlapping causes of social and political change in the past.

Class Notes

History Major Concentration(s): European
History Minor Concentration(s): Europe

Class Attributes

WCAS College Seminar

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Only History majors and minors can currently enroll in this class. Weinberg First Year Seminars are only available to first-year students.
Drop Consent: Department Consent Required