Archaeology of Gender

Catalog description

Gender refers to the cultural norms, ideals, expectations, and rules that shape the relationships and activities of men, women, and children. People in the present and recent past have conceptualized gender in many different ways, and there is great diversity in the range of gender roles and gender relations seen in different cultures. With ethnographic and historic evidence as interpretive guides, archaeologists can offer insights into the nature of gender roles and gender relations in past societies, and into the ways that gender norms have contributed to major trends in the history and prehistory of humankind. This course is an introduction to the archaeological study of the roles of men, women, and children in past societies; the relationships among women, men, and children in past communities; and the ideologies that have legitimized and naturalized those gender roles and gender relations. Case studies covered in the course are drawn from the archaeology of the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe.