The
study of early modern women raises crucial
interdisciplinary issues:
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- How were notions of the
female self shaped through gendering the body? In
what ways did views of women's physiology
influence these constructions and interact with
notions of maleness and patriarchy?
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How did legal codes reflect
or shape gender beliefs? What crimes and legal
procedures were gendered "female"? How
did women's legal rights differ from men's?
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Where, when, and why did
early modern women travel? What values and
stereotypes survived their travel to a new world,
and what new ones emerged? How were other
cultures affected by female travelers? What
imaginary worlds did women create? How did these
replicate or diverge from those made by men, and
from the "real" world?
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In teaching, how do we
continue to explore the entangled differences of
gender, race, sexuality, class, region, and
religion? How can students' varied backgrounds
help them to learn about women so removed from
them? In what ways can new technologies assist
us?
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This symposium extends the
work of two earlier conferences sponsored by the
Center for Renaissance & Baroque Studies in
1990 and 1994 by expanding the geographical range
and focusing on diversity and comparative
explorations. Plenary sessions will be followed
by related workshops designed to encourage
discussion.
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