WGSS 207 Family, Gender, and Sexuality in Chinese History
Explores the historic roots of the demand for political, social, and economic justice for women. Studies the development of feminist theory and activism through comparative analysis. Emphasizes the diversity of feminist thought and how successive generations have revised the meaning of feminist theory and practice. Cruz, Prieto.
Cross Listed Courses
HIST 207
Notes
This course explores the dynamic world of family, gender, and sexuality in China
from ancient times to the twentieth century. We cover a wide range of topics including
family and marriage patterns, women and political power, gender and law, gender and
medical care, gender and arts, femininity and masculinity, and same-sex relations. We
incorporate diverse approaches like political, legal, spatial, and intellectual history,
using historical biographies, personal writings, legal documents, as well as literary
and visual sources.
We will discuss questions such as: What were the continuities and changes of the
normative gender roles in different historical periods? How did these changes relate to the political and social environment, laws, and religions? How did actual gender
practices conform to or deviate from the normative? How did gender, class, and age
intersect with one another? In what ways was gender presented in different genres of writing, and how should we critically read these sources?
This course will be useful for students interested in China and gender studies as
well as those seeking to understand cultural diversity and social issues from multiple
perspectives.