Topic for Spring 2017: Gender Variance
Tomboys, sissies, butches, and queens: all of them are genders that we consider “non-normative,” yet when we talk about gender we are often referring to normative definitions of masculinity and femininity. We’ll choose readings from literature, social science, and films to examine these forms of gender variance, with a specific eye on the ways we pathologize “non-normative” gender. The course will provide some literary theory, some gender theory, and some queer theory, and also will also function as an introduction to other important topics such as race, class, and privilege.