Women, Gender, and the Body in Islamic Societies

Undergraduate catalogue cross-listing

This course explores the diverse histories and changing representations of women, sexuality, and the body in Muslim societies from medieval times through modernity. We make use of primary sources in translation, including scripture, legal and historical texts, letters, novels, poetry and film. The topics we discuss include women in early Islam, religious authority, marriage and sexuality, slavery, Muslim feminisms, Orientalism, and the gendered aspects of modern war, forced migration, and Islamophobia.