Hysteria: Gender and Health in Literature

Catalog description

It is impossible to separate the study of medicine and health from the gendered discourses of the body. From anxieties of hysteria and "the female malady," to concerns for household cleanliness and public health, the development of modern medicine reveals shifting attitudes toward and experiences of gender. This course explores the intersection of gender, politics, and medicine through the framework of literature in order to help students better recognize that medicine and healthcare, like literature, depends on the "interpretation" of remarkably personal narratives. Drawing on the diverse and interdisciplinary relationship between Literary Studies and Health Care, this course seeks to provoke new and exciting conversations that challenge our conceptions of health and care.