This course examines women as producers of Western culture, as they are represented in the discourses of Western culture, and as their lives have been and continue to be shaped by the forces of Western culture. We will question the very terms of this course (women, western, culture), looking at the history of how such categories have been constructed. We begin with the early modern era in Europe (sometimes defined as the Renaissance, the 14th through the 18th centuries), a period of heated debate about "the woman question." It was also an era of intense interaction between the peoples of many continents and nations: the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Many of our ideas about women, the West, and culture have their roots in this period of exchange, colonization, and struggle. From our entry point in early modern Europe we will move backward and forward in time and roam over the globe, seeking to understand the terms of this course.

Completing the work for this course will provide you with critical reading, thinking, and writing skills, information literacy (i.e., library research skills), and internet competency (including web site development). Women's Studies 200 fulfills the Tier Two Humanities requirement and the "diversity" requirement (gender, race, class, ethnicity, and non-western course material) as well as a requirement for Women's Studies majors and minors. Most readings for the course are found online, and many are available only to students registered for the course.

Unattributed materials in the hyper-textbook were created by Kari Boyd McBride for this and other courses. You are welcome to make use of them in your teaching and research.