Offered: Spring Semester 2013
Co-requisite: US History

In your lifetime, the study of United States history has changed greatly to include the perspectives of different types of Americans. Social histories, like the study of women, have emphasized the diversity of experience and construction of identity in America. In this course, we will investigate the experiences of women from colonial times to the present. Students will be asked to use the standard categories of historical analysis to redefine their understanding of power and influence, production and reproduction, and dependence and independence. Students also will apply those skills to present-day feminist writings, specifically looking at the blog format, to discuss how the construction of gender is an ongoing process that affects us in real ways. As women’s history is a relatively new field, there is no standard textbook; instead, we will use a variety of primary and secondary sources, including speeches, newspaper articles, historical essays, book reviews, and blog articles to study the history of Women in America.