NMC239H1

Women and Gender in the Near and Middle East

A team-taught survey course that explores the lives and societal roles of women in various cultures of the ancient, medieval, and modern Near and Middle East, including ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, ancient and medieval Zoroastrianism, ancient Judaism, late antique Christianity, medieval Islam, and the modern Middle East. The course is co-taught by different specialists in these various fields. By tracing continuities and differences across regions, religions, and cultures, as well as changes over time, it seeks to enhance students’ understanding of women’s history and gender construction by exposing them to a variety of sources and methodological approaches. Textual as well as material culture evidence stemming from various backgrounds is considered. The aim of the course is to reflect critically on what is possible to know about women’s lives across history and on what insights may be gained through a comparative perspective.