HIS 356LEC—Social History of Women in the U.S., 1875-Present

This class will examine women as political activists, women in popular culture, and women’s diverse experiences of work, family and sexuality. We will compare late 19th century women’s reform movements, culminating in the successful drive for women’s suffrage in the 1910s, to the second wave feminist movement spawned in the 1960s and 1970s. We will also explore popular culture as a realm of performance and a powerful site for the creation of female images and ideals. Finally, we will examine birth control, abortion, sexual danger and sexual pleasure as important personal as well as political issues in women’s lives. How much have women’s lives changed since the 19th century? Have women of varied ages, racial/ethnic communities, and social class been empowered by these changes? How do we assess or measure social change, power, and gender hierarchy? USH