Sex and Gender in the Ancient World: Objects, Issues, and Case Studies


The study of gender and sexuality in the ancient world has a very strong basis in, and reliance on, the material and visual cultures of ancient societies. The relatively recent development of these sub-disciplines of sexuality and gender has enabled scholars to approach a range of objects from a new, social perspective. This has also fueled intensive debate on a variety of issues surrounding the evidence for gender and sexuality in antiquity and its interpretation. This course will function as a seminar, with lectures by the convener and student presentations. The first half of each class will be contextual, providing an overview of the gender and sex practices for each region/period under consideration. The second half of the class will be discussion-based, focusing on one or two object-centered case studies. These case studies will be carefully selected to provide a foundation in the major debates in the field and insight into how various theories, interpretations, and arguments have been constructed. 3 credits. Satisfies the pre-1800 or non-Western requirement.