WMST 235 - Introduction to German Cultural Studies

Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)

Topic for 2021/2022b: The German Invention of Sexuality. (Same as GERM 235) Does sexuality have a history? How have the ways we think about, talk about, and act on sexual desire and sexual identity changed over time? And what roles did the German-speaking world play in this development? In this course we investigate the origins of our modern understanding of sexuality in German-speaking culture. As individuals began to see their sexual desires as an expression of their inner self in the nineteenth century, sex emerged as a scientific field of study, a theme for literary experimentation, and a cause for political activism. This heady mix of the personal, the social, and the political revolutionized the way we think (about) sex. Terms such as “homosexual,” “heterosexual,” and “transexual,” fetish, and S&M can be traced back to German-speaking thinkers, activists, and writers. After examining the origins, we also probe the dissemination, reception, and adaptation of this knowledge across time, nation, culture, race, and class, using a variety of literary texts, documents, images, and films. All readings and discussions in English. Domenic DeSocio.

Two 75-minute periods.

Course Format: CLS