HIS 322-01 - 20th Century American Sexualities

4 credits (Spring)

Students in this seminar will explore the history of sex and sexuality in the twentieth century United States. We will identify changes, contradictions, and continuities in sexual ideals as well as the even more complicated realities of Americans’ sexual experiences. Topics will include desire, pleasure, violence, marriage, dating, identity, laws, cultures, and more. Students will begin the semester by engaging in a close reading of historical texts, both primary and secondary, to establish a shared foundation in the historiography of this period. Students will conclude the semester by producing a 20-page research paper and a 15-minute presentation of their original historical research into this era. Shorter writing assignments will be completed throughout the semester. Students will be expected to mine digital archives as well as traditional collections in order to locate sufficient primary sources for their project.

Prerequisite: HIS 100 and HIS 222, HIS 295-01, or GWS 211.
Instructor: Lewis