I am writing a syllabus for this class that I foolishly claimed to want to teach, it is called "State and Sexuality in Modern Europe." (Try telling that to your parents.)
So it is called that, but when you look at the syllabus you see that what I meant by that was "Male Homosexuality in Germany, With Occasional Foray Into British Feminism, 1860-1933."
6 comments:
Sex & Terror = State Formation
A few suggestions, if you are not done with the syllabus: Marie Antoinette, colonialism (colonialism is the answer to any problem, isn't it?), the working classes, and maybe consumption? I know I read some book on the public sphere about Comte's philosophy that women's role for the state is to be good mothers.
Or, if all else fails, take a Development of Europe II syllabus, and just through sex into every week.
actually, i just added marie antoinette! i've got colonialism. Comte? I keep seeing that name...
at present my big problem is having no readings nor knowledge of post-1945. and it has to be Europe. most of the primary sources aren't in english.
solution: post '45= the fall of communism...the present! that's what i usually do anyway.
thanks for your suggestions. i could also go back and add the cleptomania article and do more 19th c.
"Women and the Public Sphere in the Age of the French Revolution" by Joan Landes. The last chapter deals with post-1830 (the Second Republic? I can never keep them straight) and Comte. And there's always Lynn Hunt's "Family Romance of the French Revolution". A possible interesting counterpoint/complement to Marie Antoinette might be Georgiana, the Duchess of Devonshire. The Foreman biography is immensely readable, and with the movie coming out this fall, something that might grab students interest.
If you are looking for post-1945, you might want to check out Carolyn Steedman's "Landscape for a Good Woman". More about working class, though, than the state. It's in English, and is "auto-biographical". Also check out Buchi Emecheta's "In the Ditch" (a novel).
I learned the hard way this semester to make your syllabus V A G U E so you can just show up and talk about whatever.
Call your course: Topics in European History
What about the insane pronatalism of the Ceaucescu regime in Romania? I don't know of any readings on it, but I remember how it was a big deal when they executed him in 1989.
Yeah, I am gonna show that abortion movie. On JM's advice.
Post a Comment