Prostitutes, Mothers, + Midwives: Women in Pre-modern Europe and North America

Catalog description

Today’s society often contrasts stay-at-home moms with working women. How did women in Europe and North America navigate the domestic and public sphere from the late medieval period to the start of the twentieth century? How did gender affect occupational identity? Were women excluded from the professional class? This seminar investigates gender in the workplace, looks at gender-specific employment, and considers how families functioned. Readings include passages from classical, religious, and medical texts as an introduction to medieval gender roles. Students will explore texts, images, and film to understand pre-modern work and the women who did it.