Course syllabus

Convenors: Associate Professor Kim Phillips and Professor Barry Reay

Aims and objectives

Using examples from the U.S.A. and Europe, this paper explores the shifting meanings, languages, and practices of western sexualities.  It is a sustained – and hopefully extremely interesting – exploration of sex as a social, cultural, and historical construct.  Topics covered will include origins and development in the ancient world and early Christian ideologies, images of the body, the roles of gender, reproduction and marriage in sexuality, homosexual identities, Victorian ideologies and behaviour, changing discourses of pornography, the modern privileging of sex, and the impact of AIDS.

            At Stage I we introduce students to some of the basic aspects of the study of history. In ‘Sexual Histories’ you will gain new knowledge about sexualities in western history, but, even more importantly, you will come to view both sexuality and history in unexpected new ways.

You will also be introduced to some of the varying interpretations of historians who have written on the history of sexualities, and to some primary materials to show the kinds of evidence on which historians base their interpretations and explanations.

For the full Syllabus see under 'Files' 

Points value: 15 points.

Pre-requisites: see http://www.arts.auckland.ac.nz/en/for/future-undergraduates/entry-requirements.html

Course summary:

Date Details Due