HIEU 139 - Sex and Gender 1500-1800 - Strasser [FA25]

HIEU 139 

SEX AND GENDER 1500 - 1800

 

 

                           

Professor: Ulrike Strasser

Contact: ustrasser@ucsd.edu                                    

Office Hours: Friday 1pm-3pm (Zoom) & by appointment.

                        Link: https://ucsd.zoom.us/j/95331643451  

Office: RWAC #0945 (Department of History, 9th Floor)

 

Please note:

The instructor reserves the right to make changes to any part of the syllabus if the needs of class participants call for such changes.         

                                                                                                                                                        

Course Description:

Gender and sexuality have had a turbulent history. How humans define what it means to be male and female and what constitutes sexual activity, proper and improper, has varied tremendously over time. It has been both a cause for conflict and catalyst for change. This course explores how Europeans between 1500 and 1800 understood gender and sexuality and how that mattered for the course of history.

How were masculinity and femininity defined and contested during seminal periods such as the Renaissance or the Protestant and Catholic Reformations? What constituted acceptable and non-acceptable sexual behavior for men and women of different social classes during these times?

And what role did gender and sexuality play in large-scale phenomena such as the early modern witch-hunts and Europe’s overseas expansion? These are some of the larger questions and themes covered in this class.

 

Course Readings:

I. We will read the following books, for which I ordered copies for the UCSD bookstore:

Morton, Peter A., editor. The Trial of Tempel Anneke : Records of a Witchcraft Trial in Brunswick, Germany, 1663. Translated by Barbara Dähms, University of Toronto Press, 2017.

Trail of Tempel Annekehttps://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/11933219

Catalina de Erauso, Memoir of a Basque Lieutenant Nun  Transvestite in the New World. Boston: Beacon Press, c1996 or other edition)

Lieutenant Nun

 

II. We will also be working with a selection of primary and secondary sources. They are listed on the syllabus. I will post these readings for you on canvas. 

You are strongly encouraged to work with printed copies rather than the electronic versions.

Of course, there is always more you could read on any topic. If something grabs your interest, or if you are a history major with some familiarity of the subject matter and are itching for more, just let me know.

Finally, although I will make every attempt to help all students feel comfortable and respected while participating in this course, the fact is that some of you may be offended or troubled by some of the language, images, ideas, or readings that are assigned.  

There is simply no way to study the history of sexuality (and gender) except by examining all elements of the history of sexuality (and gender) --- clearly and analytically -- even those that offend us, our current value systems, beliefs, or personal experiences.

My belief is that we cannot learn and grow unless we critically examine our own beliefs and experiences through our exposure to the beliefs and practices of peoples of the past. Ultimately, all readings and assignments will be required for this course.  If you find the material too personally difficult to complete, I am happy to talk to you about this, but I will not assign alternative readings. In the past, some of my students have found support through campus counseling service.

 

Content Objectives:

By the end of the course you will increase your knowledge about

1. how historians use ‘gender’ and ‘sexuality’ as analytical categories for studying the past
2. how major events in early modern Europe involved people of different genders and affected each differently
3. how sexual norms and sexual practices have evolved over time and how they have interacted with gender norms

 

Skill Objectives:

By the end of the course you will improve your skills in

1. analyzing primary sources (i.e. those produced at the time)
2. analyzing secondary sources (i.e. those produced by scholars)
3. examining and constructing historical arguments in discussion and writing

 

Contact and Communication:

You are responsible for keeping up on the information about deadlines, assignments, etc. on the course website on canvas, regardless of your notification settings.

In addition, please make sure that your UCSD e-mail account is in working order. Important information will also be communicated by email.

I want to answer people's questions and needs outside of class, but there are many of you and one of me.  In order to allow me to most quickly get to your email, please follow these steps.

 

Your Subject Line MUST be:

HIEU 139 Student Question

Copy and paste the lines below into the body of your email and fill them in:

Student Name:

PID:

My question is about (place an X on the appropriate line):

___ A grading issue

___ An assignment not yet due

___ Requesting an exception (for a deadline, an exam, etc.)

___ Something else

 

Dr. Strasser,

<Put your email here -- be concise, but professional!>

Thank You!

<Put your name here>

I will respond to your email as quickly as possible. Because constant email checking decreases productivity, I limit my times on email to twice per day, and rarely log on in the evenings or weekends.  

Note: Please post any questions about the course content to our discussion board on canvas. You will definitely not be the only one to have content questions. Posing such a question benefits everyone. Either another student will be able to answer, or I will address the issue there.

 

Course Requirements: 

1. All readings for the week need to be finished by before our first meeting.
2. Regular attendance and readiness to participate in various in-class activities, including quizzes. 20%.
3. A class project that will be worth 40% of the total course grade
4. A final oral exam, worth 40% of the total course grade.

 

All course requirement must be met/completed in order to receive a passing grade.

Please make sure you can live with the set class days/times and exam date before continuing with this class. In addition, plan ahead to avoid last-minute glitches like lost internet connections, parking or printing problems or having to take out your roommate’s dog. These are not acceptable excuses.

If you are registered with the Office for Students with Disabilities and require different accommodations, please check the section on Accessibility below.

 

Student Projects and Presentations:

You will be asked to work on a project with other students this quarter in two stages. The first part of the project will be due on Tuesday of week 4 (Oct 21) at noon.  It will replace a class midterm. 

The final project will be due in finals week.  Details to come.

Final Oral Exam: 

The final oral exam will last a maximum of 15 minutes. The exam will take place during finals week.  There will be a sign-up for specific slots.

 

C o u r s e  S c h e d u l e  a n d  T o p i c s

WEEK 0  (Sep 25)

Introductions

Readings: Syllabus

 

WEEK 1  (Sep 30 & Oct 2)

Whose Renaissance? Humanism and the Querelle de Femmes

Readings: 

Moderata Fonte: The Worth of Women, Introduction and Day 1. 

 

WEEK 2 (Oct 7 & 9)  Debating Gender and Sexuality in the Renaissance

Readings: 

Moderata Fonte: The Worth of Women, Day 2.

 

WEEK 3 (Oct 14 & 16)  Discovering Early Modern Women and Gender Dynamics

Readings:

Instructions for Project Phase I

 

WEEK 4 (Oct 21 & 23) Sex, Marriage, and Gender in the Protestant Reformation

*** Project Description 1 Due on Tuesday October 21 @ Noon***

Readings:

Roper, “Luther: Sex, Marriage and Motherhood” (pdf)

Primary Source Package

Images

 

WEEK 5 (Oct 28 & 30) Sex, Marriage, and Gender in the Catholic Reformation 

Readings: 

Strasser, State of Virginity, Excerpts (pdf)

 

WEEK 6  (Nov 4 & 6)  European Witch-Hunts: Why Witches?

Readings:

Excerpt "Malleus Maleficarum" (pdf)

S. Briggs, "Witches and Neighbors" (pdf)

 

WEEK 7 (Veteran's Day & 13): Why Women?  And When Men?

Readings: 

L. Roper, "Witchcraft and Fantasy in Early Modern Germany" (pdf)

E. Labouvie, "Men in Witchcraft Trials" (pdf)

 The Trial of Tempel Anneke.  As far as you can get.

 

WEEK 8 (Nov 18 & 20)  Sex with the Devil?

Readings:

The Trial of Tempel Anneke. Finish.

 

WEEK 9 (Nov 25 & Thanksgiving)

Readings:

Catalina de Erauso, Memoir of a Basque Lieutenant Nun.  Start. 

 

WEEK 10 (Dec 2 & 4)  

Frontiers of Sex and Gender: Wayward People in Europe and the Colonial World

Readings:

Catalina de Erauso, Memoir of a Basque Lieutenant Nun.  Finish.

 

*** FINALS WEEK: ORAL EXAM AND FINAL PROJECT DUE***

 

STUDENT RESOURCES FOR LEARNING AND SUPPORT 

Academic Integrity

Academic Integrity is expected of everyone at UC San Diego. This means that you must be honest, fair, responsible, respectful, and trustworthy in all of your actions. Lying, cheating or any other forms of dishonesty will not be tolerated because they undermine learning and the University’s ability to certify students’ knowledge and abilities. Thus, any attempt to get, or help another get, a grade by cheating, lying or dishonesty will be reported to the Academic Integrity Office and will result sanctions. Sanctions can include an F in this class and suspension or dismissal from the University. So, think carefully before you act by asking yourself:

1. a) is what I’m about to do or submit for credit an honest, fair, respectful, responsible & trustworthy representation of my knowledge and abilities at this time and,
2. b) would my instructor approve of my action?
3. c) is this furthering my intellectual development as an independent, critical thinker?

You are ultimately the only person responsible for your behavior. So, if you are unsure, don’t ask a friend—ask your instructor, instructional assistant, or the Academic Integrity Office. You can learn more about academic integrity at http://academicintegrity.ucsd.edu

(Source: Academic Integrity Office, 2018) 

A special note on the use of AI:

I discourage you from using generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Dall-E, Bard, etc., for this course’s assignments. While these tools are very useful in some settings and can be helpful in many exciting ways, in a history class that focuses on analytical thinking, critical reading, and thoughtful writing these tools have very limited utility. 

You may also run into academic integrity issues depending on the nature of the assignment.  If you want to stay completely safe, stay away from AI.  You really don't need it in this class.

That said, there may be some circumstances of using AI that are ok, say, brainstorming about a class project, or generating mock questions for an exam. You need to be aware, however, that AI is a biased source generating lots of incorrect information (it was trained on Reddit!). At the end of the day, you are responsible for the content submit.

Moreover, if you use AI, you need to disclose to me (and keep a history of) exactly how you used it. Brainstorming? Copying and pasting? What questions did you ask, and what did you do with the answers you got?

I consider this to be a necessary display of academic honesty and integrity, which would also help you (and me) reflect on the ways these tools are or are not useful for the study of history. Again, your grade will be determined based on the quality of the final result.

Library Help

Ask a Librarian

https://library.ucsd.edu/ask-us/

 

Library Help: Course Reserved, Connecting from Off-Campus and Research Support

https://library.ucsd.edu/ask-us/triton-ed.html

 

Learning Resources

Writing Hub

https://writinghub.ucsd.edu/

Improve writing skills and connect with a peer writing mentor

 

Supplemental Instruction

https://aah.ucsd.edu/supplemental-instruction-study-group/

Peer-assisted study sessions through the Academic Achievement Hub to improve success in historically challenging courses

 

Tutoring – Content

https://aah.ucsd.edu/content-tutoring/
Drop-in and online tutoring through the Academic Achievement Hub

 

Tutoring – Learning Strategies

https://aah.ucsd.edu/learning-strategies/

Address learning challenges with a metacognitive approach

 

Office of Academic Support & Instructional Services (OASIS)

https://oasis.ucsd.edu/

Intellectual and personal development support

 

Student Success Coaching Program

https://successcoaching.ucsd.edu/

Peer mentor program that provides students with information, resources, and support in meeting their goals.

Student Resources

UC San Diego (as an institution) and I (as a human being and instructor of this course) are committed to full inclusion in education for all persons. Services and reasonable accommodations are available to students with temporary and permanent disabilities, to students with DACA or undocumented status, to students with health or other personal concerns, and to students with other kinds of support needs. Please feel free to let me know if there are circumstances affecting your ability to participate in class. Some resources that might be of use include:

Basic Needs

Any student who has difficulty accessing sufficient food to eat every day, or who lacks a safe and stable place to live, and believes this may affect their performance in this course, is encouraged to contact:

foodpantry@.ucsd.edu |  basicneeds@ucsd.edu  | (858)246-2632

 

CAPS Student Health and Well-Being

Provides services like confidential counseling and consultations for psychiatric services and mental health programming

https://wellness.ucsd.edu/caps/

 

Community Centers

As part of the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion the campus community centers provide programs and resources for students and contribute toward the evolution of a socially just campus

https://students.ucsd.edu/student-life/diversity/

 

Triton Concern Line

Report students of concern at (858) 246-1111

https://blink.ucsd.edu/instructors/advising/concern/

 

Undocumented Student Services

Programs and services are designed to help students overcome obstacles that arise from their immigration status and support them through personal and academic excellence

https://uss.ucsd.edu/

 

Accessibility

Students requesting accommodations for this course due to a disability must provide a current Authorization for Accommodation (AFA) letter issued by the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) which is located in University Center 202 behind Center Hall.  Students are required to present their AFA letters to Faculty (please make arrangements to contact me privately) and to the OSD Liaison in the department in advance so that accommodations may be arranged. 

Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD)

Documents student disabilities, provides accessibility resources, and reasonable accommodations

858.534.4382 | osd@ucsd.edu | https://disabilities.ucsd.edu/

 

Inclusion

UC San Diego (as an institution) and I (as a human being and instructor of this course) are committed to full inclusion in education for all persons. Services and reasonable accommodations are available to students with temporary and permanent disabilities, to students with DACA or undocumented status, to students with health or other personal concerns, and to students with other kinds of support needs. Please feel free to let me know if there are circumstances affecting your ability to participate in class. Some resources that might be of use include:

 

Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

858.822.3542 | diversity@ucsd.edu | https://diversity.ucsd.edu/

 

Student Life: Diversity
https://students.ucsd.edu/student-life/diversity/

 

Policy on University of California Diversity Statement

https://regents.universityofcalifornia.edu/governance/policies/4400.html

 

Technical Support

For help with accounts, network, and technical issues:

http://blink.ucsd.edu/go/servicedesk

 

For help connecting to electronic library resources such as eReserves and e-journals:

https://library.ucsd.edu/computing-and-technology/connect-from-off-campus/

 

For help installing Zoom for video conferencing, virtual office hours, synchronous lectures:

https://blink.ucsd.edu/technology/file-sharing/zoom/