Gender and the Body in Modern Spain

Catalog description

This course explores Spanish cultural production from the nineteenth century to the present, using gender and the body as axes of exploration and analysis. It examines representations of gender roles and norms, as well as their subversion and critique, in a variety of works, including novels, films, and essays. The course readings, which combine a literary and/or filmic text with key critical and theoretical selections, move chronologically and cover a wide range of topics such as: the connections between modernity, capitalism, and gender identity; the development of feminism and persistence of misogyny, patriarchal structures, and machismo; relationships between gender, politics, and violence; biopolitics and medical discourse; gender/queer/trans activism and calls for recognition and rights, among many others. Throughout, we will interrogate the social and cultural production and representation of gendered bodies, subjects, and subjectivities.