History and Culture in Central and Eastern Europe (390-0-20)

Topic

Sin, Skin and Spectacle: History of Sexuality in E

Instructors

Michal Wilczewski
847 4676485
1880 Campus Dr., Kresge Hall, Suite 3305 (Office 3359), Evanston, IL 60208
Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays 11am-12pm

Meeting Info

Harris Hall L28: Tues, Thurs 12:30PM - 1:50PM

Overview of class

In the last decade or so, gender and sexuality have become hot topics in Eastern Europe. In 2013, for example, "gender" was Poland's word of the year and the country's leading bishops claimed that "Gender ideology [is] worse than Nazism and Communism." In the same year, Russian leaders passed the so-called "gay propaganda law" stifling Russians' access to LGBTQ+ affirming education and support services. What informs this hostility toward issues of gender and sexuality in the East-Central Europe? How and why have sexual minorities become targets of political attacks? And how have attitudes toward gender and sexuality changed over time? This course answers these questions by tracing the history and culture of sexuality in Eastern Europe from the mid-19th century to the present. We will read about the medicalization of sexuality and the rise of sexology, sex work and sex-trafficking, reform movements, sexuality during the World Wars, queerness under state socialism, and contemporary sexual politics in the region.

Class Attributes

Advanced Expression
Historical Studies Foundational Discipline
Historical Studies Distro Area
Interdisciplinary Distro-rules apply