Course Description

By now, most college students are aware that gender is a cultural construct—that behaviors we have tended to describe as “male” or “female” are the result of social forces, rather than of biological imperatives. In this course, we will examine a variety of texts in which individuals somehow reject traditional Western gender norms. For example, what happens when a nineteenth-century woman leverages her chastity to try to liberate herself from slavery? Or when a thirteenth-century girl is raised as a boy so that she is able to inherit her father’s kingdom? And how does reimagining gender roles actually benefit cisgender men, allowing them a wider range of self-expression? As we explore these issues, we will also practice the reading, writing, and critical thinking skills needed for success in college and in the world beyond. 

Texts

Heldris of Cornwall, Silence (Le Roman de Silence) 

William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice 

Harriet Jacobs, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl 

Walt Whitman, selections from Leaves of Grass and Memoranda During the War 

Luisa Capetillo, A Nation of Women 

Requirements

Two short essays; two oral presentations; a research project which will be broken into various stages; good attendance and participation in seminar sessions

About the Instructor(s): Renée Faubion

Renée Faubion earned an M.A. in Slavic literature from the University of Kansas and a Ph.D. in

American and British literature from UNM. She has received four awards for excellence in

teaching. Her primary interest is in gender studies, including how gender performance and

expectations shape responses to cultural phenomena such as serial murder and gothic

literature.