HUM450AW - A - ST:Gender, Power, Performance

Constructions of gender have always played into ideas of power from the very beginning of recorded history, and power tends, particularly in Western ideology, to be male. However, if we expand the definition of power, we find ways in which those who fell outside the traditional male identification exercised power and influence. In this discussion-based course, we will explore the intersection of gender, power and performance through four spheres of public engagement: Arts and Culture, Politics and Religion, Sports, and Science. Through historical writings, literature, plays, poetry, film, podcasts, and art, we will dissect the ways gender and performance affect ideas of power and define for ourselves what it means to hold and exercise power. Students will conduct research culminating in a final project. Other assignments include a group presentation, an annotated bibliography, and self-reflective writing responses.