Negotiating Silence: History of Women in Spain and Latin America

On closer inspection of historical works, one of the most surprising facts is the silence about certain social groups. In history, there are many groups who for reasons of gender, class, or ethnic background are not visible in historiographic discussions. In this course we will examine the process of construction of gender identity at various stages of history and the perception women had of their own situation. We will also try to analyze the political, social, and legal discussions which made possible the perception of the inequality of women as oppressive, and eventually, the emergence of feminism in Spain and Latin America. (1 unit)

Required Texts: A selection of excerpts from the following texts and authors: Anna Caballé (dir.), La vida escrita por las mujeres. La pluma como espada. Del romanticismo al modernismo (Madrid: Círculo de Lectores, 2003); Rosa María Capel (coord.), Mujeres para la historia. Figuras destacadas del primer feminismo (Madrid: Abdad Editores, 2004); Isabel Morant (dir.), Historia de las mujeres en España y América Latina (Madrid: Cátedra, 2005). These materials will be in electronic form to be made available to students upon arrival.