Module description
Queer history is both a subject and a practice, and this module provides an introduction to both. It is, first, an introductory global history of sexuality, demonstrating the vast range of approaches different societies have taken to regulating and experiencing the body and desire. How did the category of the ‘homosexual’ person emerge? What did it signify and what were its consequences? How was sexuality regulated, and rules broken, in pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial eras? It also aims to introduce students to the method of queer history, one of many approaches to the past which illuminate how Historical Grand Narratives are produced, and how they might change. We will address questions such as: why is queer history a useful historical method in general? How it did emerge and where is it going? By the end of the module students will have enhanced their critical understanding of queer histories, and will have a good grasp of the relevant historiography and a capacity to interrogate the field.
Assessment details
1 x 1,500-word formative essay; 1 x 3,000-word essay (100%)
Teaching pattern
10 x 2-hour seminar (weekly)