JINS 316 - Portrayals of Women (template course)

This course examines depictions of women in a variety of literary, artistic, and cultural contexts from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. Themes may vary from section to section, but the inquiry, research, writing, reflection, and discussion will be interdisciplinary. Possible topics: Ancient Greece - This course will focus on depictions of women in Greek literature and art from Homer to Aristophanes, but will also address other related themes in order to elucidate cultural phenomena of Ancient Greece. Such themes include the following: mythology and religion, warfare and social/political theory, art and architecture, philosophy and scientific inquiry. Corsets and Kimonos: Victorian Britain and Edo Japan - Compares and contrasts the portrayals of women in two distinct cultures: Great Britain during the reign of Victoria (1837-1903) and Japan during the Edo period (1615-1868.) The Middle Ages - This course will focus on depictions of women and women’s roles in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East from the Fifth to the Fifteenth Centuries. C.E. These depictions may come from the women authors themselves, from male contemporaries, or from less literary portrayals in sources such as canon law, visual art, musical compositions, medical treatises, etc. Victorians and Pre-Raphaelites - This course will focus on the cultural contexts, especially class-related conventions, about gender roles and performance that circumscribed women’s lives in 19th Century Britain, and were reflected in the many images of women popularized by the pre-Raphaelite painters. It will also inquire into the effects these expectations had on real-life Victorian women, such as somatic responses and strategies for effecting personal, professional, and economic sufficiency.

Prerequisite: Junior status.
Credits: 3 hours
NOTE: This course fulfills the Junior Interdisciplinary Writing-Enhanced Seminar Interconnecting Perspective of the Liberal Studies Program.
NOTE: This course counts toward the 63-hour Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) graduation requirement.
NOTE: This is a writing-enhanced course.