WMST498D

Sex, Gender, and Sexuality in the Islamic World is an advanced introduction to the study of the changing norms of sex, gender, and sexuality in the Islamicate world, past and present. Through engagement with primary source readings, recent scholarly studies, and theoretical literature from Gender and Sexuality Studies and Queer Theory, we will cover such topics as: Islamic sexual ethics; homo- and heteroerotic poetry and art of both the spiritual and profane varieties; transvestism , androgyny, and gender nonconformity in the medieval Islamic world; premodern Islamic medical and courtly advice literature on sex; and the construction of "sexuality" (homo- and heterosexuality) in the modern Middle East. The course does not require any prior knowledge of Gender and Sexuality Studies or Islamicate cultures and languages.