Women in Comparative Perspective

Catalog description

Topical exploration of female experiences in selected global cultures. How different societies have constructed gender (or defined the social meaning of being a woman) over time explored in a comparative perspective. Intellectual discourses of religion, education, and politics structure cultural comparisons of women’s work, their position within the family, attitudes toward sexuality, civil rights, and access to public power. Through readings, discussions, films, and occasional lectures the class examines the historical development of modern gender conventions in various world regions and of controversies about the human rights of women.