Course Info | Class Number: 1313
This course is a detailed examination of the changing nature and definition of sexuality in Europe from the late nineteenth century to the present. Throughout the semester we critically examine how understandings of sexuality changed—from how it was discussed and how authorities tried to control it to how the practice of sexuality evolved. Focusing on both discourses and lived experiences, the class will explore sexuality in the context of the following themes; prostitution and sex trafficking, the rise of medicine with a particular attention to sexology, psychiatry and psychoanalysis; the birth of the homo/hetero/bisexual divide; the rise of the “New Woman”; abortion and contraception; the “sexual revolution” of the 60s; pornography and consumerism; LGBTQ activism; concluding with considering sexuality in the age of cyber as well as genetic technology. In examining these issues we will question the role and influence of different political systems and war on sexuality. By paying special attention to the rise of modern nation-states, forces of nationalism, and the impacts of imperialism we will interrogate the nature of regulation and experiences of sexuality in different locations in Europe from the late nineteenth century to the present.
Approach: Cross-Cultural Analysis (CC), Inquiry into the Past (IP);
Enrollment 25. 15 spaces reserved for 360 students. This course is
available to non-360 students. Established narratives of Europe tend
to be Western European and focused on high politics. This cluster
changes the focus from structures to stories, using an
interdisciplinary approach (incorporating political science, history,
and German studies) to critically examine Europe’s past and present
from the margins. What does Europe look like from the perspectives of
those whose voices are usually missing from mainstream narratives –
the disempowered, queers, migrant laborers, artists, refugees, and
people from Europe’s eastern and southern peripheries? By inserting
and foregrounding perspectives of the historically marginalized along
with an examination of their theoretical, cultural, and political
contributions to European society, this 360 aims to provide critical
analytical tools to not only foster greater understanding of the
broader context of modern Europe but to rethink what Europe itself is.
If you are interested in the 360 program, you must fill out the
application link here:
https://www.brynmawr.edu/360/spring-2022-application-europe-margins.This
360 cluster includes enrolling in GERM B217 & POLS B205. |