What did the term 'woman' mean in the middle ages and early modern period? How were the characteristics of 'femininity' established? How did girls become women? In particular, how did the social norms applying to 'female' and 'male' affect the lives of individuals? This unit investigates how was gender established and acted out in the middle ages and early modern period. In particular, it analyses the writings of women themselves, to see how they thought about gender structures, how they influenced the discourses about gender in their own time, and how their own lives impacted on, and were affected by, their historical context. The time span is a long one—seven hundred years of complex... -- Course Website
Instructor: Winthrop Professor Philippa Maddern
Prerequisites: a Level 1 History unit
