History (HIST) - History of Sexuality in Western Societies I

HIST 3936  History of Sexuality in Western Societies I

Prerequisites:

Twelve credits of History with at least 3 credits at the 2000-level; or any 54 credits completed.

Hours:

Three hours of lecture per week for one term.

Credits:

3

Description:

How can sexuality be a historical subject? This course explores the significance of sexual desire and behaviour in Western societies from Classical Greece to the European Enlightenment. It critically examines historical evidence, whether for norms (in legal, religious, medical, and philosophical discourses), behaviour (in criminal, biographical and narrative sources) or subjective experience. The course also takes apart the modern concept of ""sexuality,"" a complex product of social, psychological and physical phenomena, aiming at a sophisticated understanding of its validity for the analysis of premodern societies. This course may be credited towards Gender Equality and Social Justice.