Women's and Gender History
Why study women’s and gender history? Answer: because gender – the differing characteristics, aptitudes and social roles frequently assigned to men and women as a result of their biological differences - has proved to be one of the major cultural divisions within societies throughout history and is therefore of central importance to the way in which those societies have developed.
The momentous changes in work and home roles during the past 150 years have prompted a fascinating and diverse range of historical research into the condition of women’s and men’s lives and their relationship to wider social and political contexts. As a subject of study ‘gender’ has received a huge interest over the past thirty years and is one of the fastest growing areas of historical study. Women’s and gender historians focus on such questions as:
- How have men’s and women’s roles differed
throughout history and why?
- How has this impacted upon the lives of men and women historically in terms
of the types of education they have received, the careers they have entered
into and the legal rights they have enjoyed?
- What factors have influenced the changing historical and cultural definitions of femininity and masculinity?
- To what extent have men and women followed their prescribed gender roles in their daily lives?
This strand of the degree is taught by Dr Sue Morgan and normally covers a wide chronological and cross-cultural scope, looking at the impact of gender throughout various periods upon family life, patterns of employment, the media, experiences of war, scientific and medical theories, sexual behaviour, imperialism and religious beliefs.
There are modules to select from at every level, working from introductory courses such as ‘Studies in Gender and History’ to more sophisticated and focused treatments in ‘Writing Women’s Histories’ at Level Two and ‘Religion and Gender in 19th century Britain’ at Level Three.
Gender history has proved to be a popular area for students in their final year dissertation. Recent student work has included female novelists’ depictions of Victorian poverty, women and the Third Reich, and imperial masculinity in the 19th century.
Women’s and gender history presents an exciting challenge to the student in terms of offering new methods of reading traditional historical sources and the modules in this theme are characterised by their attention to the most recent developments in the field. Lively debate and discussion are enjoyed by all!